The Forgotten Melody
by LoveStory87
Summary: Seven years after her father died, Ronnie is back in Wrightsville beach with her husband Will Blaklee. When a freak accident happens will they be able to stick together through their next crises or will it tear them apart?
1. Chapter 1

This just popped into my mind one day. I have a whole story in my head but I'm not sure when I could get back to it. The amount of comments I get could change my mind though. Thanks for reading I hope you enjoy it!

_Note: This takes place seven years after the book / movie_

Ronnie sat on the porch of the Blakelee family home catching up on her summer reading. The warm wind was blowing through the North Carolina trees causing the sunlight to dance on her skin. This is the first summer she had been back since Will and her wedding but Will was insistent that it was time to come home for a visit. Most of the year they lived in New York where she would play with local orchestras and Will would oversee the Blakelee brake shops.

Ronnie felt a flutter in her stomach and placed her hand on top of her rounded belly where Will and her child rested. A smile formed on her face while she enjoyed the movements her child made. It wouldn't be long before she got to hold their daughter in her arms. Ronnie put her head back and closed her eyes relaxing against the lawn chair. Moment like this made it all worth it. All the heartache she endured when her dad died had led to this moment where everything was as it should be.

"Ronnie, are you okay?" Ronnie opened her eyes to see Will trotting up the steps towards her. He was dressed in khaki shorts and a white shirt that was clinging to him from sweat. He had spent the day on the water with his dad deep-sea fishing. As he got closer he pulled the shirt over his head to display the most gorgeous body Ronnie had ever seen.

"I'm fine, just enjoying this weather." She smiled up at him when he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"You should enjoy it while you can. I heard it's supposed to be rainy the next few days." Will sat down in the chair next to her and took a sip of the lemonade she had brought out for herself. "I'm glad we got out on the water today. It was a perfect day for fishing."

Will's dad, Tom, walked up the steps carrying a package of fish," caught some good ones today. Some of us are going to be eating well tonight."

Ronnie stuck her tongue out playfully knowing he was commenting on the fact that she was a vegetarian. "Well, I'm glad you guys had fun."

"Where is mom," Will asked.

"She went in a little while ago. I think the sun was getting to her."

"I think I should get you out of the sun too." Will stood and offered her his hand knowing that she would need help to her feet.

"I remember this being so much easier," she laughed. Will put a hand on the small of her back and guided her into the house. "Why don't you go take a shower? I want to get back to that piece I've been working on."

Ronnie strolled over to the music room and took a seat at the Steinway piano that was the centerpiece of the room. Her music was still sitting on the top with her pencil she had used to make notes and change her mind; which she did more often than not. Pulling her hair back into a knot she placed her hands on the keys and let whatever was in her heart pour out. It was the song she had written for Will as a wedding present. The music wasn't really coming from the piano like most people assumed. The truth was music grew from a thought or idea that came to life throughout her body and landed in her fingers; which would dance on the keys like a ballerina.

Now that her fingers were warmed up and her focus was back she turned to the piece she had been writing and played the first few notes. "So far, so good," she commented to herself. When she hit the troubled spot she stopped and closed her eyes waiting for the right melody to pop into her head.

"You are so beautiful," she heard Will's voice break into her head.

Ronnie opened her eyes and saw him standing in the doorway leaning against the doorframe for support. "Fat you mean."

Will pushed away from the wall and went to sit with her. "No way. I might keep you barefoot and pregnant the rest of your life."

Ronnie rolled her eyes as Will started nuzzling her neck. "If you keep that up I might be okay with it." Will's hand reached up to support her neck as he deepened his kisses. She wanted to tell him to stop and that his parents could walk in at any moment but the feel of his lips on her skin made all coherent thought disappear.

"I think we should take this upstairs," Will whispered in her ear sending goosebumps rippling down her spine.

"Won't your parents miss us," she purred.

"I think they are getting dinner ready. We have time." And she was thankful for it.

* * *

The next afternoon the rain was pouring just as Will had said it would. The trees that had calmly swayed in the wind the day before were violently teetering back and forth reminding her of a drunk trying to stand. The rain came down in drops that were as big as quarters and the thunder shook the house. Ronnie's hand went instinctively to her stomach as the last thunder clap sounded. She now knew what they meant about maternal instincts.

The room they were staying in was darker than normal and Ronnie squinted from the glare coming from the windows. It was a gloomy day and lucky for her she wouldn't have to go outside much. In a few minutes they would all be heading to Megan's house for a visit but that was the extent of her adventures outside. Hopefully the rain would stop to allow them all to make it into the car without being soaked.

"Ronnie," she heard Susan Blakelee calling for her. Walking out into the hall she saw Susan all bundled up in a raincoat that was too big for her. "I found an old raincoat of Megan's."

Susan handed her the coat and Ronnie put it on making sure that it would cover her baby bump. Luckily it just made it. "One more month and this wouldn't have fit."

"Well, I can't let my favorite daughter-in-law get all wet now, can I," she asked in her drawl. It was funny how time changes people. From the first time she met Susan she believed she would hate her for the rest of her life. Not only had Ronnie kicked Ashley out of Will's life but she had also been one of the reasons Will had transferred to Columbia.

"Are the lady folk ready yet," Tom called up from the front door.

The ladies walked over to the second story landing and looked down on the two men in their lives. It was easy to see that they were becoming impatient.

"I'm ready," Susan answered.

"I need to use the bathroom before we go," Ronnie blushed aware of the fact that she had used the bathroom five minutes ago.

"Hurry up," Will called out to her.

"It's not my fault. "

Ronnie used the restroom and then washed and dried her hands on the teal washcloth. The Jack and Jill bathroom was neat and decorated with matching teal tile and cream-colored walls. She was hoping that when they got home they could redecorate the baby's bathroom with rubber ducky wallpaper and yellow tile.

"Come on momma," she heard Will say.

Ronnie took off at a fast clip knowing that her husband was getting restless. She picked up the birthday present Will and her had picked up in Greece for Megan and headed towards the bedroom door.

At the top of the stairs she looked down on her family. "All ready." But as she took the first step she lost her footing and fell down the stairs blacking out when she hit the bottom.

* * *

Will sat in the lobby of the local hospital trying to stop the panic that had taken over since watching his wife fall down the steps of his parent's house. One minute everything had been fine and then she was at the bottom and not responding.

"Tom, maybe you should go see if they can tell you anything," his mom suggested. She had been standing behind Will for the last half an hour whispering words of encouragement and rubbing his back.

Will put his head in his hands and took a few steadying breaths. What was he going to do if something happened to her? Ronnie was his whole life. Down the hall the door opened back into the ICU and he looked to see a young nurse heading his way. He waited holding his breath but she walked right past him. That had been the third time someone had walked past and not given him any clue about what was going on behind the locked doors.

"I can't wait much longer," he heard himself say in a voice he didn't recognize.

"Everything is going to be fine, honey," his mom spoke up.

Again the door opened and another nurse walked out. Instead of the times before she walked straight towards them. "Are you Mrs. Blakelee's family?"

Will stood to his feet," I'm her husband."

The nurse smiled at him and he felt some of the weight lift off his shoulders. "Your wife is going to be fine. She took a few bumps and bruises from her fall and has a slight concussion. She may have headaches for a while but nothing life threatening."

"Thank God," his mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"What about the baby," Will asked as the smile left the nurses face. He knew from her body language that this wouldn't be the good news he wanted.

"I'm sorry sir." That was the only thing he heard before sinking down into the chair behind him. He was aware that she was explaining what had happened but what did it matter when it all added up to a loss. What now? As odd as it was to him, he thought first of the doctors appointment he would have to cancel when they got back to New York. It would have been the appointment when they got a picture of their baby.

"I'll send someone out to get you when we have her settled in a room," the nurse patted his shoulder.

"Thank you," his father said allowing the nurse to leave them.

* * *

Hours later Ronnie woke up feeling disoriented. She wasn't exactly sure where she was but there was an annoying beeping noise coming from beside the bed. The room was dark with a dim light overhead and an IV pole beside the bed. How did she get to the hospital?

"Will," she called out into the room

She heard a rustling on her right and found her husband huddled in a chair looking as if he had been sleeping. His hair was in disarray and his clothes were wrinkled more than he normally allowed. "Hey baby, how are you feeling?"

Will leaned over the bed and smoothed her hair down. She closed her eyes and relaxed against the pillow. "I'm a little sore. What happened?"

"You fell down the stairs at home. Banged yourself up pretty good."

Ronnie smiled weakly," first day with new feet. Nobody ever said I was the most graceful person. I'm sure my OB/GYN is not going to be happy about this."

As soon as she said this tears popped into Will's eyes. "They did all they could babe but…"

Ronnie's hand flew to her stomach where her daughter had been resting earlier. The bulge was gone and in its place was a pouch of fat. "Will, please tell me I didn't kill our child."

The first tear fell from Will's eye and landed in his lap. He took her hand away from her stomach and brought it to his lips. "It's not your fault. It was an accident."

Ronnie curled up into a ball and cried for the child she would never hold in her arms.

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

_**The second chapter came to me pretty quickly so here it is for your enjoyment. Please take the time after to leave a comment or review. It is appreciated more than you know. **_

One Year Later

Ronnie sat on Wrightville Beach pouring sand through her hand and watching it float away in the wind. The beach was empty which wasn't a surprise because it was one in the morning. Inside Will slept, an act Ronnie hadn't been able to perfect since Emma died. That's what they named her, Emma. Her tiny body had been buried on Will's parent's property with a small service joined by only close relatives. That day had been filled with tears and people stopping to offer their condolences and with each new apology; Ronnie knew she had to get out of there. The grief consumed her and the moment Will and her were alone she took off running through the massive property till she collapsed in hysterics.

A year later she wished she could say that things had gotten better but according to her therapist no one ever really got over the death of a child. Her best hope was that Ronnie could find a way to cope with the fact that she would never have the moments with her daughter that she had dreamed of since finding out she was pregnant. Instead of things getting better her whole life seemed to fall apart more. They had gone back to their home in New York, which had a room dedicated to the infant that had been left behind, and ever time she passed it she felt as if someone was choking her. Will had put the room back into a guest room but it didn't help.

Three months passed and Ronnie still couldn't get up the energy to go to work so Will decided to move back to North Carolina. He thought it would give Ronnie a chance to heal but nothing worked.

The worst part was she was starting to lose Will too. His nagging over her was getting on her nerves and no matter what he did, it was always wrong. If he asked her how she was doing, she would blow up at him. If he didn't ask, she felt like he didn't care. The therapist said it was normal for them to grieve differently but Ronnie had yet to see him grieve at all. It is like ice formed around his heart when Emma died. He never cried or got angry. As far as Ronnie was concerned he was the same Will he had always been. She didn't want to but she hated him for it. Why didn't he fall apart like she did? Couldn't he cry at least once for the child they lost? Would it hurt him?

The wind picked up on the beach and Ronnie pulled her hoodie closer to her. The ocean calmed her. Most days she was bombarded by anxiety attack after anxiety attack but when she could sit on the beach it calmed her down. It made her wonder if Emma would have liked the water. Ronnie had never been a big fan of the ocean, per se, but water in general she liked. She just didn't like the thought of something swimming around her legs. If she had a choice she would stick to pools.

"What are you doing out here," she heard Will's voice coming up behind her.

Ronnie turned to see Will in the pair of shorts he had worn the day before and a gray t-shirt that had always made his beautiful eyes stick out. He sat down behind her and pulled her against him. Ronnie laid her head on his chest and sighed deeply feeling tears gather in her eyes. Hoping to keep them hidden from Will she blinked rapidly until they were gone.

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you up."

Will put his arms on her shoulders and rubbed taking away the bitter cold that had been seeping into her skin. She hated the fact that he knew exactly what she wanted but didn't know that she needed him to show that he was as hurt as she was. Their child had died. There was no second chance or do-overs. She had killed their baby. How could he ever stand to look at her?

"I wouldn't have minded. Anyways I don't want you out here alone. If anything happened I wouldn't know about it."

"Nothing is going to happen."

"Either way I would appreciate it if you told me when you are coming out here," he said with finality.

Ronnie felt the anger surge from her belly. "I'm not a child. I can take care of myself." She stood up and walked briskly back to the house. When she entered their kitchen she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and took a long sip. She was hoping it would quench the fire that was building but it never quite hit the spot.

"I didn't mean to make you angry," Will stood in the doorway of the kitchen his eyes searching hers for the woman he had married. She didn't know how to tell him that she was gone.

"You never mean to but you are still really good at it. I have been taking care of myself for many years now I think going outside by myself shouldn't be an issue. Just leave me alone Will."

She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm. "Tell me what to do. Or what you need because obviously I'm not it."

"I'm fine I just need to be alone." 

"No, Ronnie, you're not fine. You've wasted away to nothing. Look at you. I'm so afraid to touch you I might break you. You are killing yourself and I'm tired of watching it."

"Then don't," she hissed at him. Walking through the living room Ronnie took the spiral staircase up to their room two steps at a time. Once she made it into their room she started rummaging through her dresser looking for the thing that would end this. There had been too many fights and it was time to end this all.

"We are going to get through this," Will walked over to his side of the bed and sat down. "You and me. We are going to do this together. I promised for better or worse."

"I don't have it in me to fight anymore." Ronnie felt the paper she had been looking for in the drawer and turned towards Will. "I got a lawyer to draw up the papers."

Will's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth fell open. "Don't do this Ronnie."

"I want a divorce."

Will strolled up the beach dodging between the tourists who littered the shore. It had been a month since Ronnie had told him she wanted a divorce and he still couldn't believe that their marriage was over. What he really wanted to do was barge into her apartment and tell her that she is making a big mistake. Not only had they lost their only child but now she was compounding the issue with a nasty divorce.

In the last month, Ronnie had moved out of their home and moved to an apartment that sat further down the beach. It was odd how a person leaving could change the whole feel of a house. The home they had bought to get out of New York had never been full of life but at least it hadn't been dead quiet. After work he would come home to an empty house and those moments made him ache for Ronnie. All he thought about all day was her.

A group of bikini clad girls walked by giving him the stare down as they passed. He thought it was funny that none of them could turn his eye. His heart belonged to one person and that person right now was trying her hardest to push him out of her life.

The steps up to her front door were rotting and he mentally made a list of things he would drop by to fix while she wasn't home. There was also a nail sticking out of one of the boards and he didn't like the thought of her hurting herself while he wasn't around. It would only take a few hours for him to have a new set of steps put in and despite the fact that he would get an earful for it; it would give him piece of mind.

Through the oak door he could hear her playing at the piano. The fact that she hadn't been able to play while she was with him didn't escape his notice. Will pounded on the door hoping that she would hear him over the piano and the sounds of tourists on the beach.

She opened the door and he smiled trying his hardest to act like seeing her didn't break his heart. Today she was wearing a yellow sundress that tied around her neck and a scarf tied around her hair to match it. It was a great color on her especially when she had her summer tan.

"What do you want Will," she asked leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

"I thought we could talk."

"Did you bring my papers?"

Will sighed and looked away trying to gain his composure. "Ronnie, please?"

She seemed to contemplate the options before stepping away from the door to let him in. He walked straight through the house to her kitchen where the new fridge he had ordered was tucked between two cabinets. "The new fridge looks good. Is there anything else you need?"

"I didn't need you to get me a new fridge or any of the other small jobs around here you thought I wouldn't notice."

Will shrugged," What can I say? It's my job to take care of you. It was in the vows."

Ronnie rolled her eyes at him. "It's not your job anymore."

"It is until I die. That was also in the vows," he joked.

Ronnie shifted her weight onto her other foot and then back again. He could tell that she was getting uncomfortable with the situation. "It won't be your problem for much longer. As soon as we get this divorce over with…"

"Ronnie," he tried to interrupt but words were flowing out of her mouth right after the other.

"Then we can just move on and there won't have to be any hard feelings…"

"Ronnie…"

"We can move on with our lives and hopefully find someone new…"

As soon as he heard her say that he couldn't take anymore. "Ronnie, I am contesting the divorce." He snapped the words at her getting her to stop mid-sentence. This wasn't how he wanted to tell her but when he heard her talking about finding someone new, he just blew up. The thought of another man touching his wife hurt more than he could have imagined.

"Why would you do that," she asked.

Without thinking he crossed to the other side of the kitchen closing the distance between them and took her into his arms. "I want my wife back."

Will crushed his lips against hers not caring that this could put a bigger wedge between them. It had been too long since he had held her like this and he wanted her right there. She struggled for a second but then her arms came up around his neck and he picked her up. Will knew the layout of the apartment and walked her into her bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.

Her eyes had fire in them and he was sure they hadn't looked like that since before they lost Emma. The tragedy they had faced had sapped all the energy out of her until she was nothing but a shell of the person she had been. Not only had losing Emma caused her to change emotionally but it also had caused her to lose thirty pounds she didn't have to lose. Her beautifully shaped body had turned into skin and bones. She was literally a walking skeleton.

Will discarded his shirt and joined her on the bed before pulling her back against him. It was time they forgot the hurt and pain just long enough to enjoy each other's company.

**TBC….**


	3. Chapter 3

Will paced on Ronnie's back deck hoping that she would come back any minute. After he had woken up in her bed he had realized that he was alone. He searched the house calling out her name but the only answer he received was the buzz from her new fridge. He had tried hard not to panic but two hours had passed and she still wasn't back. Would she leave and not come back? He wouldn't put it past her right now. Emma's death had taken a toll on his wife. Truth was he wasn't doing much better than she was but he couldn't afford to fall apart. Ronnie needed him to be strong for her.

Will closed his eyes and felt the wind blow through his hair. He loved the beach. When their lives in New York were falling apart, this is where he had wanted to be. For some reason North Carolina felt slower than New York. He wondered what it would be like if Emma had lived. Would they be in New York enjoying her first year or would they have moved back so that she could grow up by the water? He wasn't sure but he wished she was around so he could find out.

His daughter had died. It was so hard to say and sometimes the thought could still leave him breathless. All he wanted was that moment back. The moment before everything went wrong. Maybe he could have done something different that would cause the chain of events to come out differently. But he still woke up every morning knowing that it was his fault they didn't have Emma with them.

What had he said that day? Hurry up momma? He had rushed Ronnie who had needed to use the bathroom. Why couldn't he have kept his dumb mouth shut? If she hadn't been rushing she wouldn't have fallen down the stairs in the first place. He was lucky he didn't kill Ronnie too. And that day in the hospital, when she had woken up, he had felt like the murderer he was. That was the day that started Ronnie's downward spiral.

Will took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves that were on edge. His stomach was churning from the ulcer he had developed over the last year, and had conveniently hid from his wife. She didn't need anything else to worry about. The best part of the ulcer was the acid reflux that kept his lungs burning continuously. He had been taking pills to control it but the divorce had set him back in his recovery. Stepping back in the house, Will found a piece of bread to munch on that would hopefully settle his stomach and a tall glass of soymilk.

When he heard the front door open he felt relief wash through him. "Where have you been," he asked trudging into the living room.

She seemed surprised to see him. "What are you still doing here?"

"I woke up alone in your bed and assumed we needed to talk about this. Seems like a rational thought to me," he snapped feeling the anger rise within him.

"Nothing happened. There is nothing to talk about."

"Nothing happened? You want a divorce but we ended up in bed together and you say nothing happened?"

Ronnie tried to walk away but Will grabbed her by the arms. "All over the world people fall in bed together. Perfect strangers. It's called a one-night stand. So when I say nothing happened I mean we had sex. Big deal."

"You're not getting a divorce from me. It's not happening," he tightened his grip on her shoulders until he saw her wince.

Under his fingertips he felt all the energy leave her body. Her shoulders sank and her head followed suit. "Please," she whispered as her voice cracked. She stared back up into his eyes and he saw the tears she was holding in. "I can't do this anymore. I can't live in a place where I'm constantly reminded of her."

Will released his hold on her shoulders and put his hands on her cheeks. "Then we will move. Pick a place and we will go. We will put a map down and close our eyes and wherever we point that is where we will go."

Ronnie smiled at him. "I wish it were that simple but you remind me of her the most. Every time I see you I think of what I took from you." Ronnie peeled his hands off her face and turned to go. She drifted towards the hallway but stopped to turn back to him. "I called my mom while I was out. She is going to let me move in with her until I get my bearings back. I'm going to take a flight out this afternoon."

"What about us," he asked feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I'm hoping you are going to sign those papers and in the long run, forgive me."

Will swung the front door open and slammed it behind him.

* * *

Three months later

Will sat on his porch with Megan watching the rain come down in sheets. She had seemed to make it her personal mission to get him out of his funk and had stuck to him like glue since Ronnie had left him. He still couldn't believe that they were divorced.

After the argument in her apartment he had still felt like putting up a good fight but he could see that she wouldn't make it through too many more. The death of their daughter had eaten up her resolve to fight and her body in the process. They had their last conversation that day but it didn't change the fact that he thought about her all the time.

"Mom wanted to know if you are going to have Sunday brunch with the family this week."

The weekly brunch had been set up so that his mother had an excuse to check in on him and so Megan could harass him about getting out and not becoming a hermit. They thought they were smart and that he didn't know what was going on.

"I don't think so. I have to call in to the New York office. Important conference meeting."

"We both know that no one is working on Sunday and you can't dodge us forever," Megan sank in her chair and crossed her arms. "It's time you started living again. This house is like a funeral home and is not helping you. Have you even cleaned out her stuff yet?"

Will put his beer to his lips and took a sip. The beverage was not his favorite but was the only thing in the house. "Am I not moving fast enough for you Megan? Because the last time I checked I was the one who lost a daughter and my wife. You have no idea what I am going through."

Megan stood from her chair and pulled the beer from his hands. "You're right. Losing our brother was hard enough and I can't even imagine what it would be like if my own children died but we know someone who knows exactly what you are going through."

Will didn't know what to say. How could she compare what their mother had gone through with what he had gone through? She had years with her son but Will had never been able to hold his daughter in his arms.

"Ronnie talks to her," Megan interjected. Will turned towards his sister. "Yeah, she has since Emma died. Right after the divorce she stopped for a few weeks because she was worried mom would blame her."

"Have you spoken to her?"

Megan nodded," she is doing well. She finally went back to work. Took a job a Julliard as a temporary teacher."

"Why didn't she go back to the orchestra?"

"She said she wasn't ready."

Will felt his heart lighten knowing he had this connection with her. If she didn't want to talk to him, he could always know how she is doing through his family. Will waved his hand in the air signaling that he wanted his beer back from Megan when he noticed the outline from where his wedding band use to be. Ronnie may have been able to remove herself from his presence but her mark on him was still present.

As if had conjured her up in his mind he saw Ronnie strolling up to the house out of the rain. Her clothes were clinging to her and her slight body was shaking. Will shot to his feet and ran out to her. "What are you doing here," he screamed over the roar of the rain.

"I needed to talk to you."

He noticed that her face was pale and her skin had a slight blue tinge to it. Before he could change his mind he swept her off her feet and ran her into the house. Megan followed behind and grabbed a towel from his closet so that Ronnie could dry off. Will sat down on the couch with Ronnie in his arms.

"What are you doing here," Megan asked while drying her off. Will took the towel from Megan's hands and wrapped Ronnie in it.

"I needed to talk to Will. It's really important," she said between her chattering teeth.

"You couldn't wait till after the rain stopped," he berated her.

"I'll leave you two alone. I have to pick up Noelle from school anyways." Megan picked up her purse and headed for the door. "I will see you at Sunday brunch."

Will nodded as she left. In his arms Ronnie wiggled out of his grasp and walked over to the window. "It's not very pretty out today," she commented. He wasn't sure why but his nerves were on edge. What would she have to tell him? Wasn't divorce the worst thing she could do to him?

"It's rainy season. If you had more meat on your bones it wouldn't bother you so much."

Will watched Ronnie trail her hand along the window as if she wanted to touch every drop. "I've been working on it."

"What do you want to talk about," he asked stepping up behind her.

Ronnie turned to face him. "About a month after I left I started feeling horrible and got sick every morning. I was worried I had cancer like my dad so I went to the doctor."

Will felt a knot form in his stomach. Was she sick? He wasn't sure he could handle any more bad news. "What did the doctor say?"

She hesitated before turning back to the window. "I'm pregnant, Will."

Will felt his legs turn to Jell-O before falling into the nearest chair. "How," he asked.

Ronnie sat down on the couch pulling her knees up to her chin. "That day in the apartment. I never went back to taking the pill and we didn't use any protection."

Will ran his hands through his hair wondering how he was supposed to react. His ex-wife was pregnant with his baby. The woman he loved more than anything. The woman he had given a divorce to, despite the fact that everything in him told him not to. "Now what?"

Ronnie shrugged," I don't know. I keep thinking that this is a dream."

"Well, it's not and we are still divorced."

Ronnie angled her head at him aware of the disdain in his voice. "I'm sorry it's over. But this was the right thing for us. Now we have to figure out how we are going to raise our baby in this environment."

"You mean, you living with our child in New York while I get to see him or her every holiday."

"That's not what I am saying. Gosh, I don't want to fight about this. We have plenty of time to decide living arrangements. Can't we just enjoy this moment?"

"I need time Ronnie. You come here and dump this in my lap and all I can think about is the fact that we are divorced and live in different states. This isn't an ideal situation."

Ronnie smoothed her hair down and fixed her shirt. "May I use your bathroom."

Will rolled his eyes. "This is OUR house. You are the one who walked out on me." He watched her walk away with no reply.

**I'm really excited about this chapter. I think it came out really good. If you enjoyed it please leave a review or comment. It would be greatly appreciated! **


	4. Chapter 4

Ronnie sat down in front of the fireplace in Will's house. The sun had set early in the evening because of the storm and the house was dark except for the flames casting shadows on the walls. She had wanted to go back to her hotel room but Will wouldn't allow her to. He was worried about her getting sick from the storm. Most likely he didn't want her to get a bug that would make her lose another child. Ronnie bit her lower lip trying to keep the negative thoughts at bay. He had never come out and blamed her for the loss of their first child.

Fixing the pillow and blanket she had grabbed out of the spare bedroom, Ronnie made a small bed three feet from the fireplace and snuggled in. It felt odd being a guest in her own home. Or what used to be her home. Will had disappeared a half an hour ago mumbling that he needed time to think; which left Ronnie alone to mull over their conversation. It was obvious that Will was still angry about the divorce. Honestly she wasn't too thrilled about it either but life had happened and she just couldn't live with him anymore.

In the distance she could hear thunder, as the storm got closer to the coast. It hadn't been the most beautiful day but it certainly matched her mood. If her mother had only seen her in her hotel room she would have given Ronnie a stern lecture. It had been her mother who had told her to come tell Will about the baby in the first place. When the doctor had announced the fact that she was having a baby and not dying from cancer her mother had thanked the Lord profusely. Ronnie, on the other hand, had felt that this could be even worse. She would rather give her life than lose another baby. This thought had been the reason she didn't want to tell Will that he was going to be a father. Her first idea was to carry the child the nine months and then tell Will when everything was in the clear. That didn't go over very well with her mother though. Then she had wanted to write a lengthy email describing the situation but her mother had nixed that too.

A week ago her mother had cornered her and given Ronnie a plane ticket and told her it was time she told Will face-to-face. Twenty-four hours later she had made it to the hotel room where she had paced for hours figuring out how she was going to drop this bomb in his lap. If it weren't for her mother's voice in her head she would have hightailed it home.

"There are quite a few beds in this house. I'm sure one of them would be better than the floor."

Ronnie was startled by Will who had slinked in the room unannounced," I'm cold. The fire is warming me up."

Will leaned against the wall, keeping his eyes on Ronnie. He seemed to be analyzing her. His eyes drank her in and she felt heat building in her that had nothing to do with the fire. "You've been getting sick in the morning. That never happened with Emma."

"The doctor said it was normal and that every pregnancy is different."

"It that a problem since you are already underweight?"

Ronnie shifted the blankets growing uncomfortable with his question. "I know I'm not in the best physical shape right now but I am working on it. I have a nutritionist to help me."

"Ronnie, I need to know if you are okay. Did the doctor say anything about the miscarriage?"

"He doesn't think I should have any trouble," she answered. "Everything is going to be fine."

Will smiled at her," you say that but you are lacking conviction."

Ronnie laughed for the first time in months. It wasn't a big throaty laugh but it felt good. "I guess when you lose one child you lack the ability to feel confident in your child bearing abilities."

The smile vanished from Will's face and she wished she could take back what she said. Why did everything come back to that? "It's great that we are having a baby but I want to bring this baby into a world where it has two parents."

"Our child will have two parents. We will figure out how this is going to work as we go."

"No! That is not what I mean," Will yelled at her. "I think we should get married again. This divorce is stupid. I never wanted it in the first place."

Ronnie was silent not wanting to make him angrier than he already was. He had a right to be angry. Her anger and her hurt had been the reason she had filed for divorce but she hadn't stopped to think of his feelings. The betrayal he must have felt when she gave him the papers. She had stood in front of his family, a priest, and God; pledging to be with him through good times and bad times. But after Emma died she couldn't do it anymore.

"I wish, I'm sorry, was enough," she said feeling defeated. Will stepped out of the room and she could hear his footsteps on the stairs. Obviously they had things to settle between them.

* * *

Sunday brunch in the Blakelee household was hectic with Megan's kids running around the house trying to be louder than the other. Noelle was the older of the two and the spitting image of her mother. She had long legs for her age and blonde hair that was soft to the touch. Nick, on the other hand, had darker hair and the tendency to drive his sister crazy.

The minute Noelle spotted Ronnie the little girl ran at her at full speed and flung herself into Ronnie's arms. "Aunt Ronnie!"

Ronnie hugged the little girl enjoying the feeling of a child in her arms. "You get more beautiful every time I see you," Ronnie commented.

Nick came bounding up and smacked his sister on the leg. "You're it."

"Hey, little man. Where is my hug?" Ronnie knelt down and picked him up. Nick gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and then he wiggled out of her grasp.

Will said his hellos to the children then guided Ronnie out to the back porch. The warm air felt good on her skin. One of the problems of being underweight was that she was always cold. Her cardigan had become a staple in her wardrobe. The smell of grilled chicken filled the air and Ronnie felt her stomach heave. She paused, taking a few deep breaths to calm her grumbling belly.

"You okay," Will asked in hushed tones. He rested his hand on the small of her back.

"I'll be fine. My stomach is not happy this morning."

Will took her arm in his hand and turned her so that she was looking him in the eye. "If you don't want to do this today we can come back."

The thought was very tempting but she didn't want to wait to tell his family. "No, we need to get this over with."

Will's family was huddled near the pool with the grill smoking in the background. They were chatting amongst themselves and didn't notice Will and Ronnie. It was great seeing them again but the moment was probably going to be short lived. As soon as they found out she was pregnant they would turn on her for leaving Will.

"Ronnie," his mother was the first to spot them. She stood to her feet and enveloped Ronnie in a hug. "Megan told me you might show up." Susan looked her up and down as if to inspect her for any change. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind Ronnie's ear. "You've put on a few pounds since the last time I saw you. A couple more would make me very happy."

"I'm working on it mom."

"Can I make you kids a drink," Tom asked while heading over to the bar with his empty glass in hand.

"Not for me, thank you," Ronnie looked to Will with a knowing glance.

"None for me dad," Will added before sitting down beside his sister. "What is up with the cut on Nick's face?"

"He was abusing our cat and got clawed. The other cuts have healed up but the one that is left was a little deeper." Ronnie gave Megan a quick hug before dropping in the chair beside Will.

"How have you been Ronnie," Tom asked dropping a bottle of water into Ronnie's hands.

"Good. I took a teaching position which keeps me pretty busy." Ronnie tried focusing on Tom's face but felt her stomach heave again. Morning sickness was everything her mother had made it out to be. The only problem was it seemed to last through a good part of the day. Any scent from food could make her sprint to the bathroom to duck her head in the toilet.

"How are the students," Susan asked.

"They are amazing. I'm going to be sad when their teacher comes back from maternity leave." Ronnie turned her head and swallowed hard hoping to send the contents of her stomach back down.

"Gammy, can I go swimming," Noelle ran out of the house and attached herself onto Susan.

"Of course you can. Your swimsuit is in the cabana. Megan, can you open it for her."

Ronnie felt her face become flush and knew she wasn't going to make it much longer. "I'm going to be sick," Ronnie, whispered in Will's ear.

"The pool bath should be open. Let me go with you," Will stood to his feet and offered Ronnie his hand.

Reluctantly she took his hand and followed him to the bathroom. Her stomach did a final heave causing Ronnie to bolt to the bathroom, lift the lid, and empty her stomach. She felt Will lift her hair from her face. He rubbed his other hand in slow circles on her back till she was spent.

"You done," Will asked. When Ronnie nodded he pulled her to her feet and let her rest her head against his chest. He handed her the bottle of water Tom gave her so she could wash her mouth.

"Much better," she smiled up at him.

When Ronnie stepped out into the sunlight with Will she was surprised to see Susan outside the bathroom door. "What is going on with you two," Susan asked with hands on her hips.

"I think it's time we had a family meeting," Will declared. He guided both Susan and Ronnie back to their seats by the pool while the rest of the family sat down.

Ronnie felt an adrenaline rush surge through her. This was not going to end well. His family would take his side and Ronnie would be left to defend herself to the whole group. Could she even defend herself? She could remember all the reasons she had left Will in the first place but did that change when a baby was on the way.

"I want to know what is going on right now," his mother's stern voice sent a chill through Ronnie.

"I'm having a baby," Ronnie lowered her head not wanting to see the disappointment in their eyes.

"Tell me something I don't know," Susan shot back. Ronnie snapped her head towards Susan. "I've had three children of my own. There are signs."

"Are you guys getting married again," Megan interjected.

Will turned to Ronnie and she could see the pain in his eyes. "No. Honestly, we don't know what we are going to do."

"Raising a child with two parents is hard enough," Tom added. "Where are you going to raise this child? Will has responsibilities here and Ronnie, your job is in New York."

"The good thing about having a baby is you have nine months to figure things out," Ronnie answered. She reached out and took Will's hand. "I know this isn't easy for either of us but I'm willing to compromise."

**Thanks for reading. Please take a minute and post a review / comment. I appreciate them all. **


	5. Chapter 5

Megan dropped two full bags of food on Will's desk that were marked with the name Rosette's. Rosette's was an eatery down by the water that was a local favorite. It was where his family used to eat on special occasions till the tourists caught on. Now the only time he ate there was when he ordered take-out.

Will could tell by the look on Megan's face that this wasn't her usual social call. Today she had a mission and he had a sneaking suspicion he knew what it was. He had caused quite a stir at the Sunday brunch.

"You are looking lovely today sis," Will put on his best smile hoping to deter her. She wanted answers that he just didn't have. Where were they going to raise their baby? Were they going to get back together? He had no clue.

"I know that trick," she commented. "How could you Will? You get her pregnant right when you are getting a divorce?"

"I didn't do it on purpose. We were fighting and the next thing I knew I was carrying her to the bed. How was I to know she wasn't on the pill?"

Megan pulled a Styrofoam container out of the bag and handed it to Will. She had got him a pulled pork sandwich that made his stomach grumble in invitation. He hadn't eaten since six and by the clock on the wall it was well past two in the afternoon.

"You lived with her for a year after Emma died. Are you telling me you didn't talk about her going back on the pill?"

"I'm sorry that I was trying to put my wife back together," he added sarcastically. "I should have been focused on a pill that would have served no purpose at the time."

Megan raised her eyebrow at him. "You're right. But I'm afraid you are going to miss out on everything. She is going to move back to New York and take your child with her."

Will took a bite of his sandwich not really tasting it. He had already lost sleep over the fact that Ronnie would move back to New York. He had even considered moving back with her but his new position in his father's company really hindered that. "What am I going to do Megan? I feel helpless."

"Ask her to stay. At least until the baby is born."

It seemed hopeless but it was the only plan that made sense. He deserved to see his child come into the world. Also, it would give him time to convince Ronnie that their divorce was a bad idea. Will shot to his feet and headed to the door.

"Where are you going," Megan asked looking perplexed.

"I'm going to ask her to stay. The sooner the better."

* * *

Ronnie sat on the balcony of her hotel room looking through her wedding album that she had snuck out of Will's house. She wasn't sure what she was looking for but she had felt drawn to it since seeing it on the coffee table. Why hadn't he put it away? It was one thing for the album to be on a shelf in the library but why on the coffee table where anyone could see it? Turning through the pages, she studied Will's face. He was so happy. It was if she was the answer to all his prayers. Their wedding had been held at the beach and their reception at his parent's house. It had been a beautiful wedding and had rivaled his sister's. Ronnie felt a tear slide down her face and brushed it away. It had been a happier time before life had hit them hard.

There was a knock on her door and Ronnie closed the album. Looking around the room she was embarrassed by the clothes strewn across the floor. She had never been good at keeping a clean room. Quickly she gathered them up in her arms and shoved them in the closet.

When Ronnie opened the door she was surprised to see Will gasping for breath on the other side. "Did you run here," she asked.

"No, the elevator…was taking too long…so I took the stairs," he got out between puffs. Today he was wearing slacks and a pressed white shirt with a purple tie that made her feel underdressed in her shorts and pink tank top.

"You ran up sixteen flights of stairs?"

"I needed to talk to you." Will placed his hand on the wall and let his head sag. Will had always been in great shape so he must have been going pretty fast to be this out of breath.

"Would you like to sit down? Maybe some water?"

Will breezed past her and fell onto the bed. "A defibrillator."

Ronnie giggled and settled down on the other queen-sized bed. She couldn't help but smile at Will. One of the things that had made her fall in love with him was his sense of humor. "Feel better," she asked after giving him a minute to catch his breath.

He propped his head in his hands and looked her over. "You feeling better today," he asked.

"Yeah, it's been a pretty good day." Ronnie pulled up the strap of her tank top that had fallen off her shoulder. "So what was so important you had to run up sixteen flights of stairs?"

"I want you to move back to North Carolina," he blurted. "I can't and won't be a holiday only dad. You talked about compromise and this is where I want it to start. There is nothing holding you to New York."

"What about my job or my family?"

"The job is temporary and your family can visit," Will stood to his feet towering over Ronnie. "I want to see our child grow."

Ronnie watched as Will started pacing back and forth by the bed. It was obvious he had made up his mind in what he wanted. She wanted him to be there too but things were odd between them. Could she really live this close to him? When she found out she was pregnant, Ronnie had felt some of the weight lift off her shoulders but she still blamed herself for Emma's death. How could Will not blame her?

"Where did you get this," Will asked. Ronnie, who had been lost in thought, noticed the album in his hand. She felt her cheeks grow warm under his scrutiny. "I asked where you got this."

"I found it on your coffee table. I wanted to look through it."

"You mean you stole it. I don't know why you would even want it since you couldn't stand to be with me anymore."

"Finally we are having a real conversation," Ronnie stood to her feet and crossed her arms. It was time they had it out. "You're right I don't want to be with you. Tell me Will, were you relieved when our daughter died?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"You took all of a day to get over it."

Will stood toe to toe with Ronnie, "You don't have a clue what I went through. You were so busy falling apart that you couldn't recognize anyone else's pain."

"She wasn't taken from your body," Ronnie screamed at him before the tears started pouring down her cheeks. Will sat down on the bed and pulled her into his lap to let her cry.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. She could feel his hand rubbing and her back; which made her feel worse for how she treated him. "I didn't come here to fight you. I was hoping you would move in with me."

Ronnie raised her head off his chest wondering if she had heard him right. "Will."

"I know our marriage is over but I want to take care of you. Who is going to get you pickles and ice cream when you need it?"

Ronnie smiled remembering the weird combinations her body had craved while carrying Emma. Poor Will had gone out at two and three in the morning to make her happy. There had been one cold morning where he had driven all the way to the store before realizing that he hadn't put on a pair of pants. She had laughed at the hilarity of the situation even though Will had seemed none too pleased. The truth was he was always a great husband but sometimes love isn't enough. "I have a contract with the school for one more month."

"Then finish it out. Take that month to decide what you want to do."

Ronnie stood to her feet and turned back to Will. "I'll think it over."

"That is all I ask," Will stood to his feet and placed a kiss on her forehead. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," she answered.

Will smiled but it never reached his eyes. She could tell that something was troubling him but she didn't know what it was. Was he still angry about the album? He could take it with him. Maybe he was thinking she wouldn't come back at all. No, it couldn't be that. They did have a child to raise after all. A child that was more real to her everyday.

"Do you have a ride to the airport," he asked.

"I got it covered. I am just hoping my mom and Jonah don't forget about me."

Will paused beside the table on his way to the door and looked down at the picture the album was open to. "You looked so beautiful that day. It's sad it came to this."

Ronnie stood at the door and watched him leave. As sad at it was they didn't have time to analyze the past. There was a future coming that they were ill prepared for. How was she going to be a single mother? Her mother had done it but not when she had a newborn. Don't newborns stay up all night crying? Wouldn't that make it hard for her to hold a job? All these thought caused her to feel panic rise within her.

Picking the album up off the table Ronnie settled back into the chair on the balcony. She slowly flipped through the pages remembering each moment as if it were yesterday. There was a picture of Jonah and her. Another caught Megan with baby Noelle on her lap. Then she found it, the picture that had been nagging her to open the photo album in the first place.

The whole photo was black and white with a border that was out of focus. In the middle, Ronnie and Will stood nose-to-nose gazing into each other's eyes. It wasn't so much the photo that had called to her but the memory surrounding it. That was the moment Will had whispered that her dad would have been proud of her. Most people wouldn't have brought it up but Will knew how important her dad's memory was.

Her dad wouldn't be very proud of her now. She had divorced Will and now she was basically taking his child away from him before he said hello. There was nothing honorable in her decisions. Deep down she still loved him but her guilt over Emma kept them apart. The best she could hope for was this new baby healing some old wounds.

In the parking lot she saw Will walk out to his car. It was a BMW that didn't really suit him. She missed his old truck. The one he had given up when they found out they were pregnant with Emma.

**Just a warning that the next chapter may take a while! I have another story I have been working on for months and all I have is the last chapter left. I want to finish it and not leave those readers hanging. Will do my best to get finished and back to this ASAP. Thanks for reading. Please leave a review / comment.**


	6. Chapter 6

Ronnie dropped her workbag on the counter and slumped into one of the bar stools lining her mother's counter. It was later than she normally got home because a few of the teachers had decided to go out for drinks. If it weren't for the small bump that was now starting to show in her fifth month she would have gladly drowned her sorrows in booze. Since she had left North Carolina she hadn't been able to sleep because Will's face haunted her dreams. She also had let the last two months go by without talking to Will about his proposal for her to move in with him. The teacher who had been on maternity leave had decided to become a stay at home mom, which left Ronnie, bound to the school.

"Jonah, I don't want Ella and you alone in your room with the door closed," her mother called down the hallway.

Jonah, who was now a sophomore in high school, came into the kitchen with a half eaten tray of nachos in his hands. When he wasn't slouching he towered over Ronnie standing at six feet tall. "We weren't doing anything. Relax."

Their mother sent Jonah a look that stopped him in his tracks. "I was young once. I know what happens behind closed doors."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you to create this mess," Ronnie joked pointing at her rounded belly.

"Don't worry. I will leave that for you and your ex-husband," Jonah put an emphasis on the word ex.

Ronnie's eyes narrowed to slits hoping he would get the picture. It's not as if they had gotten pregnant on purpose. It just happened. One minute she was fighting with him and the next she knew she was on the bed enjoying what he was doing to her body. She had almost forgotten about all they had been through and the divorce she wanted.

"None of your business young man," their mother scolded. "Why don't you wash your hands and then set the table. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

"None of my business, indeed," Jonah mumbled walking back to his room.

Ronnie almost felt bad for him. Jonah had been close to Will ever since the summer their dad died but with the divorce Will hadn't called to check in. It had been Will who had acted like a stand in father to Jonah. When they were living in New York, Jonah had spent a bunch of time at their house. He would spend the weekend or just hang out.

"He misses him," her mother commented.

"I didn't tell him he couldn't talk to Jonah," Ronnie argued. Leaning forward in her chair she rubbed her lower back feeling the strain of carrying the extra pounds on her. Will would be proud of how far she had come in gaining weight. According to her doctor, she had reached a normal weight for someone her height and age, last week. "Why can't he pick up the phone and call Will?"

"I think deep down he is afraid Will would reject him now that you aren't married."

"Will wouldn't do that."

Her mother shrugged and turned back to her meatloaf. The whole room was filled with smells that were driving Ronnie crazy. Even meat, which she never liked to eat, smelled good to her. The cutting board sitting right in front of her carried raw carrots and Ronnie popped a few in her mouth.

"Thanks so much for having me over for dinner Ms. Kim," Ella swept into the room with Jonah dragging behind her. Jonah's girlfriend was everything Ronnie wasn't in high school. Ronnie had been dark and rough around the edges. Ella on the other hand looked as if she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. There wasn't a blond strand of her hair out of place and her clothes were clean cut over her petite body.

"You are welcome," Kim placed the meatloaf and side dishes on the table before motioning everyone to sit. The dinner passed quickly with small talk filling the room. Ronnie rested her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes thinking that the day had been perfect. She lived for moments like this when the family could gather together. She only felt one pang or regret over the fact that Will wasn't there to enjoy it with them. Lightly shaking her head, she tried to clear the thought knowing it wasn't right to think this about her ex-husband.

"Why don't you kids go finish your homework? Ronnie and I can handle the dishes."

"Are you sure," Ella asked.

"Yeah, what is one more hour on these swollen feet," Ronnie answered sarcastically. Lifting herself out of the chair she grabbed Ella's dish and placed it over hers.

Ella smiled and wrapped her arms around Jonah's neck. "I have to leave soon anyways. Algebra, here we come."

Ronnie chuckled as Jonah carried Ella out on his back. "I like her."

"Me too," her mother answered while cleaning up the table. "I can handle the dishes if you need to get off your feet."

"That's okay. It shouldn't take long."

Ronnie filled the dishwasher trying to keep her mind on the here and now instead of the future. In four months she would have a baby to take care of by herself.

"Why are you so quiet tonight," her mom asked. When Ronnie stood up her mother wrapped her in her arms. The tears silently fell from her eyes making her angry at her pregnant hormones.

"I chose to divorce Will. I wanted this. So why is it so hard?"

"You and Will went through a lot when Emma died. I can't blame you for what you did but if it is a mistake there is no shame in admitting it."

Ronnie shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You went through a divorce. Is this normal? Or am I just a slave to these hormones?"

Kim placed her hand on Ronnie's back and guided her to the couch. "It's not my place to butt in but I am going to give you motherly advice. Call Will and tell him you are going to move back in with him. If something happens, great. If nothing happens, great. Either way he deserves to be there for the birth of your child. This will also give you time to figure out what you want."

* * *

Will sat in the corner booth of Rosette's sifting through the mountain of paperwork he had yet to finish. He could have easily finished the work at home but the place was too quiet. As it is, he had already resigned himself to sleeping on the couch in his office. That was also the reason why he was sitting in Rosette's on a Friday night where the tourists lining the bar were louder than college football fans on a winning night.

Dropping his pen on the table, Will rubbed his eyes trying to clear the fog that was settling on his brain. The last two months with no word from Ronnie kept Will's nerves on edge. It also did nothing for his acid reflux issues.

"Here we are, your quesadillas with extra sour cream. Is there anything else I can get for you?" His waitress dropped the steaming plate in front of him as he moved his papers.

"No, thanks Gretchen."

The waitress smiled at him," anything for my favorite customer."

Will smirked as she walked away. Lifting a triangle to his mouth he took a bite savoring the taste. He hadn't been able to eat lunch that day because of a meeting that ran long and his stomach was more than happy for the sustenance. He couldn't stop himself when a moan broke from his lips.

"I'll have what he's having." Will heard the comment and turned to see a petite girl sitting in the booth behind him. "When Harry Met Sally?"

"I never saw it."

"That's a shame," she commented while sweeping a strand of her sandy blond hair from her face. Will couldn't help but notice her tan skin that had a tinge of pink most likely from a day in the sun. "Are you alone tonight?"

Will briefly glanced at the clutter that had accumulated on the table. It seemed as if he was always alone. Counting the days he could accurately say he had been alone five months, three days, and some odd minutes. "My work seems to follow me wherever I go; which makes me bad company."

The girl stood to her feet and moved to take the seat across from Will. "I'm Annie," she offered him her hand.

"Will, nice to meet you," he shook her hand noticing how soft it was and a smile lit her face creating a sparkle in her eyes that captivated him. "Don't tell me you're alone too?"

Annie shook her head," See those girls over there talking to those guys in suits that look like they are in their mid-thirties? They have daddy issues. Well, we are here on break."

"You go to the university?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to get my degree in nursing." He watched Annie who seemed to be interested in the papers in front of him. It would have seemed nosy for anyone else but somehow she seemed to come across as innocent. "What do you do that keeps you so busy? You're not a lawyer are you? You don't act like it."

"No," Will chuckled. "I'm the CFO for Blakelee brakes."

"Wow, a big wig."

Will wasn't sure but it seemed as if she was flirting with him. The feeling was odd since he had been with Ronnie for so long. She was beautiful with her sparkly green eyes and the figure of a personal trainer. "So, hitting on guys isn't your thing," he asked stealing a glance towards her friends.

"I don't know. I was trying to put my moves on you but it doesn't seem to be working."

Will leaned back in the booth and clasped his hands behind his head. He had to admit he was enjoying their banter. It had been too long since he had flirted. Ronnie had loved his playful side and through their good years they had kept their relationship fun and playful. "Is that what you were doing?"

"Oh, now that hurts." Annie stood to her feet showing off her shapely legs to Will. "I have to stop my friends from doing something stupid so I am going to leave you my number and tell you I hope you call me. Maybe we can get together before I go back to school."

Will drove home that night with a smile on his face. This was the first time since his divorce that he had felt like things were going to be okay. He may have a baby on the way and an ex-wife that haunted his dreams but he got a glimpse of what the future could hold. As hard as it was he could move on and be happy.

The center console in his BMW lit up showing that he had a message on his phone. He didn't remember it ringing but with the volume in the restaurant he wasn't surprised that he hadn't heard it. Pushing the buttons he placed the phone against his ear surprised to hear Ronnie's voice.

"Hey, Will, it's Ronnie. I'm sorry I haven't called but the lady I was subbing for decided she didn't want to come back to work so I have been filling in till they find a new teacher. I've been thinking about what you said before I left and I think you are right. It would be a good idea for me to move in with you… Obviously if the offer still stands…If it doesn't I totally understand…Well, if you could give me a call back I'd appreciate it."

Will turned the phone off feeling the smile fade from his face.

_**Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment/review I would appreciate it!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Will nervously set the table while waiting for the timer to go off telling him that the jambalaya was ready. He had invited Annie over hoping to impress her with his culinary skills and by the smells emanating from the kitchen he had done his job. Today was the last day of her vacation and she would be leaving in the morning. The thought made him pause for a second realizing how much he was going to miss her. The only up side was that she lived an hour away. They had spent every night of her vacation together stopping at local eateries and getting to know each other. He had learned about her family and the two older brothers who drove her crazy. He had told her about his family in turn leaving out the part that involved a baby that was on the way.

Checking to make sure everything was as it should be, Will made a mental checklist. The salad was ready and the biscuits were on the table folded into a red cloth to hold in the heat. He had set out the bottle of wine that he had picked up from his parent's special collection. The only thing he had left to do was light the candles and wait for his guest. He wished Ronnie wasn't on his mind but she never seemed far away. Tonight she was mocking him with the fact that he made jambalaya; which was her favorite dish.

Will took a quick check around the house making sure he had put all of their pictures away for the night. Their wedding picture, which had been hung in the front entry, had been taken down leaving an empty nail sticking awkwardly out of the wall. Walking past it a few times he realized that it would look odd to leave it there so he grabbed another picture of his parent's hoping she didn't think he was weird having a picture of his parent's at the front door. In total he had put away six pictures of Ronnie and him.

The doorbell rang inciting Will to check his hair and straighten his shirt before opening the door. Annie stood on his doorstep wearing a sea green baby doll dress with her hair swept up on one side. His breath caught in his throat.

"Do you think you could help me," she asked adjusting the four bags on her shoulders.

Will stepped up dropping a quick kiss on her cheek and took three of the bags. "What is all this?"

"This is the dessert I told you I would bring." Will guided her into his kitchen and dropped the bags on the counter. He watched her with great interest trying to assess what she thought of the place. She ran her hand on the countertop and smiled at him.

"I thought you were bringing dessert for us not a whole football team."

"I'm going to make chocolate fondue with all the fixings. I wasn't sure what you like so I bought a little of everything." Annie reached for the closest bag and started pulling out the contents. "Strawberries, banana, angel food, pretzels. Name it and I brought it."

Will traversed the counter and took her in his arms. There had only been one woman who fit in his arms perfectly but Annie was holding her own. He lowered his lips to hers and his hand reached up to cup her cheek. The timer went off announcing that the jambalaya was done and Will pulled her tight against his body giving her a hug. "Dinner is ready," he said huskily.

"Smells good."

When they were done eating Annie made her fondue and brought it out to the porch where they watched the sun set on the horizon. She shivered slightly and Will pulled her onto his lounge chair where he covered her with the blanket he had taken from the couch. "It must be nice living on the beach. It's so peaceful."

"Hmm," he snuggled her against him. "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I was in New York for a while but nothing can compare to this."

"Why were you in New York?"

Will hesitated not wanting to go into all the details. "I went to school there and then I stayed to open up some shops for my dad."

"I'm glad you came back or else I wouldn't have had the chance to meet you."

Will dropped a kiss on her nose and then placed his chin on top of her head. "I'm glad I got to meet you too."

"You know, I have yet to find a flaw with you," Annie said picking up his hand to play with his fingers.

"I didn't know you were looking," Will chuckled.

"There has to be some reason that you are an eligible bachelor. Why aren't you off the market?"

The waves crashed against the shore and seagulls flew around the deserted beach creating the most picturesque scene. It was a beautiful night and he had a beautiful woman in his arms. Was he on the market? Technically, he could have started dating right after the divorce but it hadn't been him who wanted it in the first place, which begs the question, how long should he wait? "I'm not sure I'm on the market," he answered truthfully.

Annie pouted her lips," Do you think I could change your mind?"

"I think you are doing a good job of that already," he hugged her against him. "What about you? Why aren't you taken?"

"I appreciate you being gentlemanly but we don't have to pretend you don't see it," Annie said trying to act serious. "Everyone can see that my second toe is longer than my big toe. How could a man deal with that? It's a real deal breaker."

"I'm glad you said something and I didn't have to," he cringed.

Annie's mouth opened into an oval and he felt a smack on his arm. "Will Blakelee, you are terrible."

"And you're beautiful," he breathed before tilting her chin up and capturing her mouth with his.

* * *

The next day Will went to his parent's Sunday brunch with a little more pep in his step. He didn't know why but the sun seemed to shine a little brighter and the bird's song a little sweeter. It felt good to be out of his funk. For the first time in a long time he looked forward to another day.

Nick, his sister's youngest child, came bounding up to him with a jar of worms and held it up for him to see. "See my worms, Uncle Will? Daddy says we are goin fishin." Will knelt down to his level and messed up his hair. Nick never liked when he did it but his little pout could make any man's heart melt.

"Where is you momma," Will asked now towering over the child. "Does she know you are running around the house with worms?" He tried to put on a stern face but he couldn't fault Nick for being excited about spending time with his dad. His father worked a fifty -hour work week and was involved with a sailing team at the Yacht club. The good thing was he made time for his children even if it coincided with a race he was supposed to be in.

"Nicholas, what did I tell you about those worms," Megan asked with a note of exasperation. She looked haggard which struck Will as funny. His prim and proper sister who was always well put together seemed to be falling apart. Her blond hair was sticking up at odd angles because of the new haircut she had and a big splotch on her shirt that looked like dirt. "I'm glad this is so funny to you."

"Did I say anything," he shrugged trying to act innocent. Megan took the worms out of Nick's hands and proceeded out the back door. Will followed close behind noticing the downward cast of Nick's face. He was not happy to let go of his worms. "Don't worry buddy. We'll get you some more worms."

Megan stopped abruptly and glared at Will. "You will not. What has gotten in to you?"

"I met someone," Will grinned.

Megan shoved the jar of worms back into Nick's hands. "Here, take these." Nick accepted the worms with a shout of joy and ran off. "What do you mean you met someone? Do I know her? Why didn't you bring her? Mom, come here."

Will laughed as they both took their seats at the table. He knew his sister would be happy to hear the news. She had tried her hardest to get him to move on but in the end it had happened at the right time. No prodding or pushing could get him to move on when he wasn't ready.

"What is going on," his mother asked.

"Will met someone," Megan beamed seeming even happier than he felt.

His mother, on the other hand, looked as if she swallowed a bug. He watched her slowly sink into her chair. "Well, who is she?"

"Her name is Annie and I met her at Rosette's. She was here on break with two of her friends and we just started talking."

"Have you been out on a date," Megan asked.

"Six, actually. I saw her for dinner every night last week. She likes Chinese food but is really partial to my jambalaya."

Megan's mouth opened into an oval shape. "You cooked for her? That means you took her into the shrine."

Will raised an eyebrow at that hating the fact that she called his house the shrine because he wouldn't take down the pictures of Ronnie. Was it so odd that he didn't want to let go of his wife? "I took down all the pictures while she was there."

"Please tell me you didn't…" his mother questioned not wanting to hear the answer.

"No, of course not. We want to take it slow."

"Which means you are going to see her again." Susan took a long drink of her mimosa. "I don't mean to pry but is this a good time to be starting a relationship? You have a baby on the way, Will. Ronnie is going to need your support."

"Speaking of Ronnie," Megan chimed in. "Annie must be the reason you didn't answer any of her voicemails last week."

"What?" Susan gave him the look that used to make him cower before her when he did something wrong.

"Ronnie decided she was going to move in with me. I will call her tonight to find out when she can fly in or if she needs me to help her move."

"I think it's a good idea for her to move in with you. It's time you two kids put your heads on right. When did people start acting like marriage vows don't matter? She may have been the one to file for the divorce but you should have fought for her."

Will leaned back in his chair admiring the beautiful scenery around him. It was the place he had grown up and where his daughter had been laid to rest. He couldn't blame his mom for being upset. He knew he should have fought for her but now it was to late. Now it was time to move on. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt Ronnie or this baby and I know this is going to be hard on all of us. But I can't pay for this mistake the rest of my life. I need to be able to move on whether that is with Annie or not."

The rest of their brunch went by like it always did with the family huddled around the table enjoying his dad's barbeque. Nick and his dad went out on the water to fish while the woman changed into their bathing suits to suntan. Will excused himself and started walking down the path that led to the family plot.

The gravestones lined up side by side with names of family members Will had known and a few he didn't. He stopped a second in front of his brother's and cleaned of the leaves that were piled on top. It was weird to think that someday he would be right there with him. A while after Emma died he had wished that it were him who had been laid to rest instead of his baby.

On the end was the newest headstone that read Emma Marie Blakelee. Will sat down in front of it and cleaned off the leaves as he had done to the other headstone.

"Hi Emma, it's daddy," Will cleared his throat feeling it closing up on him. "I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. Mom and I have been going through a hard time. It's not your fault though. Parents sometimes forget that they are stronger together than they are apart." Will wiped away a tear that was rolling down his face. This was the only place he let himself truly feel the pain over losing Emma. "I don't think I've told you but you are going to be a big sister. Mom is going to have the baby in about four months. But you won't have to worry about favoritism you'll always be daddy's girl."

Will put his hand against the cold stone running his fingers over her name. Why couldn't it have been him? Will felt his hands ball into fists before he hit the ground.

**Thanks again for reading! I hope this chapter inspired you to write a review / comment. All comments are appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

Ronnie grabbed her bag from the overheard compartment trying to keep it from falling on her head. After packing up her stuff from her mother's house, she had shipped it to Will's house. There was no way she was going to take the long drive down to North Carolina with her bladder. The baby sat right over it causing her to go to the bathroom every ten minutes. At least on a plane she didn't have to stop.

The other passengers piled out of the plane slowly stopping every few seconds for people who had brought every piece of luggage on with them instead of checking them at the airport. She tried not to get excited but in a few more minutes her body would be screaming for her to go to the bathroom again.

"Molasses going uphill in wintertime would be faster," the man behind her commented. Ronnie nodded in agreement. It seemed that she wasn't the only one getting impatient. "Look at me complaining and you're having to hold that heavy bag."

"I can manage. I'm a big girl." Ronnie placed her hand on her rounded belly rubbing it in small circles.

"I heard it's not good for pregnant woman to be carrying heavy things. You should rest it on the seat until we move."

"Good idea," she said before swinging the bag into the seat. Ahead of her people started to move past the elderly couple that were still getting their things together. "Just my luck."

"Why don't you grab that for her," the man's wife remarked. "We're not in a hurry." The man grabbed the bag and gave his wife a smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. My ride should be right outside the gate."

When they reached the door of the gate she could see a large number of people crowding around looking for family members. There were also people waiting to get on the plane and a few service men that were leaving their spouses behind. The crowd parted and standing off to the side was Will.

He was dressed in his work clothes and she guessed he had taken the afternoon off to come get her. "There's my ride," she commented to the couple that had helped her with the bag. "Thanks for the help. I hope you have a great vacation."

"Let me get that," Will came up beside her and grabbed the bag from her arms. "How was the flight?"

"Good." Ronnie leaned over and gave him an awkward hug. How were divorced people, who are going to move back in together, because they are having a baby, supposed to greet each other? If there was a manual on how to deal with this situation she could use it.

"You look great," Will commented. "Is everything going well?"

"Yeah, so far. I moved out of the nauseous stage a while ago; which I was very happy about."

Will stuck his hand out like he was going to press it to her belly but he jerked it back to his side. She wished it wasn't so hard for them. Things should have turned out right. Emma should be with them getting excited over the fact that she would be a big sister. "I just came from work and I didn't stop to get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

Ronnie smiled," I'm six months pregnant. When am I not hungry?"

The restaurant he chose was a favorite of Ronnie's that was huddled on a pier not far from their house. The place was designed to look like a run down shack that was a blue-ish gray with white trim. She smiled at the sound of seagulls and closed her eyes to enjoy the wind coming from the open windows. It was nice to be home. She wasn't sure when she had started thinking of Wrightsville Beach as her home but sitting across from Will felt right.

"How is Jonah doing," Will asked before taking a sip of his sweet tea.

"He's doing real good. Last quarter he got straight A's on his report card. He also has a girlfriend I think you should meet."

Ronnie watched Will play with the straw in his drink. He seemed uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. "Yeah, maybe someday I will."

"Don't do this Will," she pleaded. "He doesn't deserve the silent treatment. If you are mad at me take it out on me."

"Is that what you think I am doing?"

Ronnie shrugged," isn't it?"

Will sat up to his full height and looked her dead in the eye. "The reason I am separating myself is because one day you are probably going to get married again and I don't want to be the husband who can't let go. How is it going to be on the poor guy if he is always being compared to me?"

Ronnie reached across the table and grabbed Will's hand. "You will always be a part of my family. This baby took that decision away from us. But Jonah needs you. After dad died he started looking to you as a father figure. Don't make him lose another dad."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll give him a call tonight."

Ronnie gave him a smile and looked down at their joined hands. His skin felt warm and welcoming. Her mother was right; she was confused about her feelings for Will. At the time of the divorce she had felt the need to run as far away as possible but never did she stop to ask herself if she would want that in five or ten years. Will pulled his hand out of hers and she felt the emptiness spread past her hand and land in her heart.

* * *

Two days later Will and Ronnie were at her new OB's office waiting for her annual checkup. Ronnie felt calm having gone to these visits many times before but Will was antsy. His legs were bobbing up and down and he was popping his knuckles; which bounced the sound off the walls in the nearly empty waiting room. She couldn't help but laugh as she turned back to the magazine she was looking through. It was a new copy of Parenting magazine that featured an article on baby jocks. The clock on the wall kept ticking five minutes and then ten minutes that they had been waiting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Will check his watch.

"Veronica Miller," a nurse called out from the door. She was dressed in blue scrubs that had rainbows and bears on it. Unfortunately the joy on her shirt didn't transfer to her face.

Ronnie stood to her feet and bent to put the magazine back on the table. She was really excited about this visit since Will was able to join her. When she had been pregnant with Emma, Will had made sure he made it to every visit and she had missed that camaraderie.

"Maybe I should wait here," Will looked to her for confirmation.

"It's not like you are going to see anything you haven't seen before. You are the one who put this baby in me. Come on," she took his hand and helped pull him to his feet.

The nurse took her weight and her blood pressure; which were both good. Then she gave Ronnie a hospital gown to change into because Ronnie had worn a dress that day. Will sat down making sure to turn his head while she changed out of her clothes. "This isn't awkward," he joked.

"What are you talking about? All divorced couples watch each other change," she laughed nervously. Pulling her arms through the holes, she pulled the strings around her neck to tie them together. "You can look now." Ronnie sat down on the examination table and laid back. For someone who had been so calm that morning she was starting to feel butterflies in her stomach. Will always seemed to have that affect on her.

There was a knock on the door and a young doctor walked in. "Ms. Miller, how are you today? I'm Dr. Phillips."

"Fine. Thank you," Ronnie replied never taking her eyes off Will.

Dr. Phillips sat down on the rolling stool and dragged himself over to the table she was laying on. He had on a nice pair of slacks paired with a sweater vest that was a decade out of date. "You must be the dad." The two men shook hands. "Today is going to be pretty routine. We are going to check the baby's heartbeat and give you an ultrasound. Make sure everything is working properly. I have a few notes from Dr. Marlow I would like to go through with you. First, how have you been eating?"

"It seems like I never stop eating," Ronnie giggled.

"You're doing well for being six months along but next time I want to see you add two or three more pounds," he wrote that down in her chair as he gave the instruction. "What about the heart palpitations? Are you still having a problem with it?"

"Um…not really. They bothered me more in the beginning."

"Dr. Marlow believes it was because you were underweight and had nothing to do with the baby but I needed to check. I see a note here that says you don't want to know what the baby's sex is. Is this correct?"

"I would like to wait," Ronnie answered but then realized she had never asked Will. The truth was she didn't want to get her hopes up and then lose the baby like she had with Emma. "If that is okay with you."

"That's fine with me," Will smiled down at her.

"Well, if you don't have any questions I will get the nurse in here to finish up."

"Nope, I think I'm good."

The nurse came back into the room and started the ultrasound and also gave them an opportunity to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Will had stood there transfixed by the rhythmic beats. When the nurse left he leaned over her and whispered a thank you in her ear that sent bolts of pleasure coursing through her body. They may be divorced but her body still responded to him. Her traitorous body knew what pleasure he could lavish it with.

His head was inches away from her and she couldn't help herself when she put her lips on his. She was thinking he would jump back in surprise but he deepened the kiss pulling her body closer to his. The kiss was hard and demanding and Ronnie moaned when his tongue flicked across her bottom lip. She could get lost in his kiss. His hands moved to her back where the hospital gown had opened and started to roam over her bare skin.

Will pulled back first stepping away from her and slumped down in the seat against the wall. "I shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry Will. It's my fault." Ronnie stood gathering her clothes to put them on. "These stupid pregnancy hormones."

"I'm seeing someone Ronnie," he deadpanned while staring at the floor.

Ronnie's arms went slack allowing her clothes to fall back to the floor. A few minutes ago she had told the doctor that her heart palpitations were gone but now her heart fluttered irregularly. "Who…who is she?"

"Her name is Annie. We've been seeing each other for the last two months. I didn't know how to tell you."

Her bottom lip began to quiver as she tried to hold back the tears. "You thought now would be the perfect time? When we are at the doctor's office listening to our baby's heartbeat?"

"This wasn't the scenario I pictured I promise you."

"Get out," Ronnie said under her breath.

"We should talk about this," he stood to his feet towering over her. He went to grab her hand but Ronnie jerked it away.

"I said, get out," she reiterated. Will stood before her as if he wasn't going to listen but he took a deep breath, turned to the door, and walked out. She wasn't sure why she was angry since she was the one who had asked for the divorce in the first place but it still felt like a knife had been thrust in her heart. Worse than that even, it felt like someone drove a knife in her heart and then twisted it for good measure. Suddenly the tears she had been holding in came cascading down her face like a waterfall. She was finally ready to admit that her mother was one hundred percent right. She was still in love with Will.

_I don't usually publish chapters so close together so don't be surprised if the next chapter takes a little longer than normal. I hope everyone who reads this will take a second a leave a review/comment. It would be appreciated!_


	9. Chapter 9

Ronnie was lying on the couch the next morning when Will ambled in holding a duffel bag on his shoulder. He looked as if he had just had a shower with his hair still wet. The jeans he had on hung low on his waist and he had a shirt in his hand. "Good morning," he spoke awkwardly. After three years of marriage and knowing each other for eight, it seemed as if they would never be able to speak to each other normally again. When Ronnie didn't answer him he dropped the duffel on the floor and sat down beside her. "We can't avoid each other forever."

"Really? Because I think I am off to a great start." Will smiled at her joke. "Where are you off to this morning?"

"I'm going to spend the day with Annie. Her sorority is holding an end of semester bash and she asked me to go."

Ronnie felt her chest squeeze out her air. "And you're bringing an overnight bag?"

Will shook his head," I haven't slept with her if that is what you are asking. Gosh, Ronnie, I don't know what I'm doing. All I know is one day I'm married to the woman I love and the next I'm single and getting hit on by this beautiful woman. If you know how I'm supposed to handle this, then tell me."

Ronnie stared down at her pajamas; which consisted of a violet colored tank top and a pair of shorts to match. If she was at a friend's house she would have considered it skimpy but she felt like she was home with him. That's where all the problems stemmed from. In all of the plans to divorce she had thought she was moving on to her own home and to a new life. But Will was her home. He was everything she had ever wanted. "I don't know how to handle this either."

"What do you want," he asked.

This was the first time anyone had asked her that. What did she want? First she wanted to have a healthy baby. One who had all it's fingers and toes. Then she wanted to feel whole again. It was time to stop feeling like a murderer. But most of all she wanted him. He was the one thing that was off limits. She knew it would be selfish of her to ask him back after she had hurt him so much. "I want to give you a healthy baby and make up for all the hurt I've caused you."

Will rose from his seat and pulled his shirt over his head. "The only hurt you caused me was when you left." After picking up his duffel he turned back to her," I got to go."

* * *

Will parked in front of the sorority house observing the party that was already in full swing. There was a large group of people lounging on the lawn and a group of guys huddled around a row of grills. The smoke billowed out of a few inciting the cook to swing the spatula over it. They all seemed delighted to be there with a youthful exuberance Will hadn't felt in a long time. He had never felt old before but today he almost felt elderly. Through the crowd Annie spotted him and ran over to his vehicle. She leaned in the window and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Howdy, stranger," she drawled in an exaggerated accent. She had on a pair of shorts and a bikini top Will had seen her wear on vacation. "I told some of the guys about your volleyball days. They are getting excited about the game."

Will extracted a smile trying to focus on the day ahead. The last two days with Ronnie had put a damper on his mood that he couldn't seem to snap out of. "We need to talk. Why don't you hop in?"

Annie traversed his BMW and settled into the passenger seat. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy conversation but it was time to tell Annie the whole truth. His unease seemed to fill the vehicle until Annie started to squirm under the pressure. "What's going on?"

"I didn't lie to you on purpose, Annie, but I wasn't truthful to you either."

"You mean you're not CFO of Blakelee Brakes," she teased.

Will smirked hoping she had the same sense of humor when he was done. "I told you that I'm divorced but I didn't tell you that the reason I'm divorced is because my wife lost a baby."

"Oh my gosh, Will. I'm so sorry." Annie leaned over and put her arms around his neck, whispering soothing words into his hair.

"You may want to hold off on that hug until I tell you the rest," Will reached up and unlocked her arms. "It gets worse. Three months after the divorce she tells me that she is pregnant and now I have her living in my house." Will watched Annie's eyes widen in surprise. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but my life is really messed up right now."

Annie sat quietly in her seat staring out at the crowd on the lawn. He couldn't blame her if she was angry. This was a hard situation to be in and she didn't have to get involved. If he had a choice he would get away as quickly as possible.

"I like you Will," she stated. "And despite the fact that your life is crazy I want to give us a try."

Will couldn't believe what he was hearing. Annie was one of a kind and he was lucky to have found her. Most people would have walked away. "You're an angel."

Annie smiled at him showing off the dimple in her right cheek. "I think I'm falling in love with you Will Blakelee."

The sun shone bright in the sky all afternoon creating the perfect condition for him to kick some butt at volleyball. Some of the guys from a fraternity down the street had shown up ready to prove their superiority when it came to athletics but Will had sent them home with their tails between their legs. It felt good to be playing again. He felt lighter when he was with Annie. Not everything had to be about Emma or his divorce from Ronnie.

He had to admit that Annie's admission that she was falling in love with him had thrown him for a loop. His feelings towards her were complicated. On one hand he did care for her but when the baby arrived would he have time to develop their relationship? How would his family feel if Annie stuck around? The ultimate decision was his but he was close to his family and their opinion mattered. Megan was happy that he had found someone but his mother was worried about how this would affect his relationship with Ronnie and the baby.

Ronnie hadn't been too happy to find out that he was dating someone. It was worse that he had kissed her right before. The question was, why did she kiss him? She had made it perfectly clear with the divorce that it was over. Was it possible that she was having second thoughts?

"What are you doing over here all by your lonesome," Annie sat down beside Will and bumped her shoulder against his. She had put a hoodie on over her bikini top because of the chill settling in the air.

"Just thinking," he gazed up at the night sky that was showing off an array of stars. The party had quieted down a bit and most were huddled by the bonfire. Its flames brightened the parking lot beside the house and he could make out a truck like the one he had sold two years before. Ronnie had been dead set against him selling it but he figured they needed something more reliable for their growing family. "My parent's anniversary is next weekend and my sister is throwing a big party. Would you like to go with me?"

The smile dimmed on her face," Are you sure that is a good idea? I mean, is Ronnie going to be there?"

"Yeah, well, she is helping put the whole thing together."

Will pulled Annie into his arms and she leaned her head on his chest. "Maybe we should wait. I don't want to cause problems for you."

"I don't think there is a good time to introduce my girlfriend to my pregnant ex-wife. Something tells me that it's going to be awkward no matter what."

Annie giggled against his chest creating a hum through his body. Without thought Will tilted her head up and claimed her lips. They were soft yet demanding as Will deepened the kiss. His fingers hid in her hair reveling in its softness.

Annie pushed against his chest breaking them apart. "Come with me." They walked through the yard and into the house till they made it to her room.

* * *

Ronnie stood in the kitchen with a cup of decaf coffee in her hand. The sky outside the house was black and she sighed knowing that the weatherman was right. It was going to be a lousy day. There was a light drizzle; which kept the beach empty. It was odd for this time of year and gave the scene an eerie feel. The rest of the house was in shadows and she had to turn lights on to see.

Ronnie felt the baby move, most likely caused by the unease in Ronnie's stomach. She placed a hand over her belly hoping to calm herself as much as the baby. Will hadn't come home last night. She had found it odd that he hadn't come down for breakfast since it was his favorite meal of the day and had gone to his room to check on him. By quick inspection she had noticed that his bed hadn't been slept in and his towel hadn't been used.

She would like to think that he hadn't spent the night with that girl, Annie, or whatever her name was. But in her heart she knew something had changed the night before. He was no longer just seeing her, he was starting a relationship with her.

"Ronnie." Ronnie rushed to the front door to see Will in the entrance holding the bag he had taken with him. He was wearing the clothes he worn the night before and all doubt was erased. "Sorry I didn't call and tell you I wasn't coming home."

The guilt in his eyes almost made her feel sorry for him but anger was boiling under her cool exterior. "I guess you had fun last night, didn't you Will?"

"I can explain," he moved closer to her making her retreat farther into the hallway.

"Don't touch me," she yelled at him. "I hope it was worth it."

Turning away from him she headed towards the stairs hoping to escape this nightmare. She should have known this was coming. Will was attractive, funny, romantic, and a whole list of other good things that any woman would like. Ronnie had reached the top of the stairwell when Will grabbed her arm. She lost her balance but he caught her in his arms.

"Careful," she snapped. "You wouldn't want me to kill another one of your children. Or maybe you do so you can be with your precious Annie."

Will grabbed her roughly by the arms and brought her face to face with him. "You want me to blame you, fine. You're right you killed our child. No matter if it was an accident, you killed her. You ruined our marriage by acting like you were the only one was hurting. And worst of all you pushed me into dating Annie by not coming back to me. It's all your fault. All of it. But don't you dare think for a minute that I would put Annie in front of our child. Do you understand?"

Ronnie felt the tears gathering in her eyes and Will's fingers; which were digging into her arms. He shook her when she didn't answer and for once she was afraid of him.

"Do you understand," he repeated.

"Yes," she angrily answered before running to her room and locking the door behind her.

_Hope you enjoyed the interaction between Will and Ronnie! If you have a second please leave a comment. It will be most appreciated. _


	10. Chapter 10

Will pulled his shirt over his head wincing at the pain in his abs. Ever since his fight with Ronnie he had hit the gym hard trying to get out his frustration. It wasn't like he had done something wrong. She had pushed his buttons to the point where he had felt as if he could hurt her but instead he had aimed for her heart. He didn't want to admit it but he had stood outside her room listening to her cry. In a twisted way it had made him feel better. That was another reason why his body was screaming at him. Who felt better after deliberately hurting someone's feelings? Those two reasons had kept him in the gym for twenty hours that week.

The rest of the week Ronnie had gone out of her way to avoid him and he had done his best not to get in her way as well. Things were getting awkward. When he had asked Ronnie to move in with him his goal was to win her back but he wasn't sure if he wanted that anymore. Losing Emma had taken the sparkle out of Ronnie's eyes and left her bitter. He wasn't sure she was ever going to move on, even with the new baby on the way. Annie, though, was full of life. She smiled all the time and had a great sense of humor. Will didn't feel lonely with her.

There was a knock on the door and Will went to answer it knowing Annie was here so that they could go to his parent's anniversary bash. In usual Annie style, she was dressed in a summer dress that fit her perfectly. Her hair was down but was adorned with a pink seasonal flower Will didn't know the name of. "You look fantastic."

"Thanks. I have to tell you that I tried on every dress I owned twice before deciding on this," she swept past him into the house. In her hands she held two gifts wrapped in floral paper.

"What's this for," he asked.

"One of them is your parent's anniversary gift and the other is for you. I found this great antique store that had these amazing picture frames. I purchased a painting from a local artist to give your parent's I hope they like it."

"I'm sure they will. What about my gift? Can I open it?" Annie set the gift in his hands and watched as he opened it. He wasn't one to save the paper but he took his time building the suspense. When one side was open he slid the gift out that turned out to be a picture of them from the party the weekend before. "I love it."

"Are you sure? I saw this frame and fell in love."

"Thank you," he leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. "You ready to meet the parents?"

"As I will ever be. Is Ronnie driving over with us," she asked glancing around the house.

"Um, no, she spent the night at my parent's house. According to my sister she fell asleep on the couch and her husband moved Ronnie into the guest room."

Annie cringed," I was hoping I would meet her here. I don't want to create a scene at the party."

"Don't worry. Ronnie's bark is worse than her bite." Will's ploy to lighten the mood worked because Annie laughed at his joke.

They drove over to his parent's house and parked along the path that led to the house. The drive was already full of guests who were making their way to the backyard. He could see through the trees that lights had been suspended from the top of his house to a tent that had been erected but not much else. Annie took a deep breath before following the throng of guests. At the entrance his parent's stood off to the side welcoming everyone who walked by.

"Will," his mom squealed with delight. "Your wife is the sweetest for helping put this night together. Poor thing was exhausted and passed out last night."

"Ex-wife mother," he placed a kiss on her cheek and shook his father's hand.

"Who is your friend," she asked replacing her smile with a cool evaluation.

"Mom, dad, this is Annie."

Annie stepped up and gave them both a hug; which he could tell his mother wasn't happy about. "It is so nice to meet you both. You have a great son."

"Well, thank you," his dad answered. "I think I did a good job raising him."

"You did," Annie agreed. "Opens the door for me like a real gentleman."

"Good to hear," his mother smiled in a way that didn't reach her eyes. "Will, I am worried about Ronnie."

Will turned back to his mother," Is she okay?" He wasn't sure why but his heart started beating faster.

"She has been working non-stop this week. I asked her if anything was wrong but she said she didn't want to talk about it. She needs to take it easy. It's not good for the baby."

"I've been worried about her too. She barely touched any of her food last night," his father chimed in.

"Can you talk to her? You know you're the only one she will listen to."

"I'll take care of it." Will excused himself feeling betrayed by their actions. He had no doubt that his mother was worried about Ronnie but he also knew that she had said it all in front of Annie to scare her off. "Sorry about them. My mom takes a little while to warm up."

"No problem. I thought they were great."

Will ducked through the crowd pulling Annie with him till they were at the front steps. He figured he might as well find Ronnie and get the introductions over with. Ronnie was not going to be happy to meet Annie. He also wanted to talk to her about how hard she had been pushing herself. He was worried about the baby but he was more concerned with Ronnie's well being.

The house was empty except for the caterers who and a few guests who were lined up at the pool bath. He could hear a low hum coming from outside where the guests were most likely enjoying a cocktail. He turned the corner into the kitchen with its white cabinets and dark marble countertops to find Ronnie talking to one of the waiters.

"I love the stuffed mushrooms. They are worth every penny," she commented.

"Ronnie," Will got her attention. He noticed that Annie slunk behind him.

"Excuse me," she said to the waiter who picked up a tray and made his way out of the kitchen. "Have you seen the patio? It came out great didn't it?"

"I haven't seen it yet but my mom seems to be excited. Ronnie when is the last time you got some rest?"

"Megan didn't tell you that I fell asleep on the couch last night?"

"She did but you look like you could use a weeks worth of sleep." Will could see that her eyes were red and there were heavy bags under each. "My dad also said you haven't been eating. Do I need to keep an eye on you?"

"No, I was just upset about our fight. I hate it when we fight and I promise starting tomorrow I will slow down."

"You will slow down starting tonight," Will countered. "I want you to go take a rest for an hour. The party will still be going on for hours."

"Fine," Ronnie pouted.

Annie took that moment to step around Will. "Ronnie, this is Annie."

"It's nice to meet you," Annie stuck out her hand.

"You too," Ronnie shook her hand. "Have you met the family yet?"

"I met his parent's as we walked in. I don't think his mother liked me too much."

"You should have seen her when she met me. If looks could kill I wouldn't be here now. Just give her time. She doesn't like change."

Will smiled at Ronnie remembering the first time she had met his mother. They had been covered in mud and his mother had given her a similar look to what she had just given Annie.

"If you will excuse me the master says I have to go lie down," Ronnie indicated with a nod in Will's direction. "I will see you two later."

Will watched Ronnie exit the kitchen and couldn't fathom why he wanted to stop her. Since she had come back from New York all he wanted to do was touch her but she was off limits. Instead he had chosen his relationship with Annie as a distraction. The only reason he could see, as to why he wanted to stop her, was because the pain in Ronnie's eyes when he had introduced Annie.

"You ready to go party," Annie asked.

"Heck yeah."

The party was lively for his mother's usual group. Megan had ordered a D.J. that was spinning tunes from every genre and generation. The place was decked out in blues and gold that had been the colors for his parent's wedding. This explained the reason why the invitations had specified that the guests wear blue or white. Annie and him spent most of their time on the dance floor and talking to old friends he hadn't seen in a while.

"This must be Annie," Megan stepped through the crowd and joined them by the back door. She had a one shouldered midnight blue dress on that went almost perfectly with his button down shirt and tie. "I have heard so much about you."

Megan gave Annie a hug. "That is what I like to hear. You did a great job with this party."

"Thanks. I can't take all the credit though. My husband helped and so did Ronnie. Have you met her yet?"

Annie nodded," I have. She is nice. Will had me nervous that she was going to be this evil woman who was going to kill me if she had a chance."

"Will has a distorted view of Ronnie right now." Her eyes sought Will's. "Sometimes we are so busy noticing others faults that we miss our own. But I don't want to bring any one down so enjoy the party. I have guests to entertain."

Over the music blaring from the speakers Will heard music that made his ears perk up. He knew the melody like the back of his hand and stopped Megan from leaving the two of them. "Do you hear that," he asked.

"Where is it coming from?"

"I have an idea," Will answered. He grabbed Annie's hand and led her into the house. Megan followed close behind them. The music room stood off to the right side of the house as you came in and was blocked by a mass of people. Some stood on tiptoe hoping to see in and other just stood in the foyer listening intently. Will excused himself tapping people on the shoulder so that he could make it to the center of the room where Ronnie was sitting behind the piano. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail like she always wore it when she was playing. Her eyes were closed and she swayed back in forth using her whole body to express her music. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"What's going on," Annie asked still by his side. "Wow, is that Ronnie? Where did she learn to play like that?"

"Her father was a pianist and taught her how to play. She grew up being a child prodigy," Megan answered before putting her hand on Will's shoulder. He knew she was trying to give him support because the piece she was playing was special to him.

"Are you okay," Annie asked.

"She composed this piece for me for our wedding day," he answered but kept his eyes on Ronnie.

_This chapter came to me quickly so I wanted to pass it on and not leave you in suspense. Unfortunately it will just leave you waiting for the next chapter. What do you think about Will's response to Ronnie playing the wedding piece? Please leave a review/comment I would appreciate it!_


	11. Chapter 11

Will fixed his gaze upon Ronnie's face while she played the ending to his song. Her fingers skipped across the keys hitting the last notes before letting the music fade away. The crowd around him clapped vigorously for her but he couldn't seem to move. He was transfixed by her beauty and of the moment. Ronnie's eyes fluttered open and she inclined her head to the audience but froze when she caught his eye.

"I think my parent's are about to cut the cake," Megan interjected. "Why don't we all head out to the patio and give these two a moment alone."

"Will," Annie whispered reminding him that he had brought her.

"Just give us a minute," he squeezed her hand trying to reassure her. He saw the doubt in her eyes but she turned to leave following Megan and the rest of them out to the patio. "It's good to see you play again. I thought after Emma…" he trailed off.

"Me too. There are many things I thought I couldn't do after I lost Emma. Having another child was one of them and I'm glad I was wrong."

Will remained in place unable to move closer but needing to have her in his arms. "What is going on with you Ronnie? You divorce me and move back to New York but you come back and...I don't know what to think. What do you want from me?"

Ronnie shrugged," Nothing. I don't want or deserve anything from you."

Will advanced on her and settled in the chair beside the piano. He saw fear in her eyes and he wondered why it was there. Was there something she was hiding from him? Maybe something she didn't want him to find out about? "You broke my heart Ronnie and Annie is trying her hardest to put it back together."

"I understand," she answered, bowing her head. "I didn't play that song to bring up bad memories. I just wanted to play and it was the first song that popped into my head."

Will gathered her hands in his and she moved on the bench till her legs were between his. "I loved you Ronnie and I still do. But there are boundaries when people get divorced and you just crossed it. I don't want to always be reminded of what I had."

"I'm so sorry Will. I would never try to sabotage Annie and your relationship. My only wish is that you are happy."

Will felt a familiar stab to his heart. This whole mess has made him feel like a heel. He couldn't say that he had brought Annie just to spend time with her. Part of him had wanted to parade her in front of Ronnie. In a way he wanted her to feel the pain she had caused him over the last year and a half.

Ronnie rose to her feet and released his hand instantly agonizing over the loss. "I think I'm going to go upstairs. Like you said, I need rest and I don't want to get in your way again tonight. You guys can have the house to yourselves."

"Ronnie," he called out to her retreating fame. He wanted so bad to tell her the truth but he couldn't bring himself to calm her fears. "I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded gracefully and exited the room. Feeling the weight of the day come crashing down on him he placed his head in his hands. It truly didn't matter if Annie and him had the house to themselves that night; he hadn't been able to sleep with her. The night he had stayed with Annie they had gone to her room ready to take the next step but he hadn't gone through with it. If Ronnie hadn't fought with him the next morning he would have told her.

"Can I come in," he heard Annie's sensual voice purr. She was standing just outside the room with her hands folded in front of her. She was magnificent and any man would be lucky to have her. He just wasn't sure that that man should be him.

"Have I scared you away yet?"

"Never," she came over to him and knelt at his feet. "You have baggage. I have baggage. When I was nineteen my high school boyfriend and I decided that we were going to get married right out of high school. My parents didn't want to hear of it so we hopped on a flight to Vegas ready to elope. Fortunately, by the time we got there I had talked myself out of it. I told John I couldn't do it. I wanted my parents blessing. I never saw him again after that day. There are still times when I think about him and wonder where he is and what he is doing. It has little to do with love but of a need to hold on to the past. The good news is you have a baby with her which will be a great reminder of the good times."

Will didn't know what to say. This angel in front of him had put his mind at ease with a few simple words of comfort. Not even his sister had been able to do that. "What do say we get out of here? I happen to have the house to myself tonight."

"What about your parents?"

"They have plenty of guests to take care of. They won't even know we are missing."

* * *

Ronnie dropped her head on the steering wheel of her Volkswagen Bug feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her doctor's appointment, that she had just left, hadn't gone well. Dr. Phillips had berated her about the fact that she had lost three pounds since the last time he had seen her. He had also been concerned about the stress she seemed to be under.

Was it a surprise that she had lost weight? Annie had graduated two weeks before and moved closer to Will so that they could spend more time together. While she hid in her bedroom having to listen to them giggle like teenagers hiding from their parents. Just the sight of Annie grated on her nerves.

Taking a few deep breaths she pulled the car out of the parking spot and guided her car towards Megan's house. She needed time away from the lovebirds.

Megan answered the door wearing her workout clothes and sporting a sheen of sweat on her body. "Ronnie, what's wrong," she asked noticing the grim look on Ronnie's face.

"Can I come in," Ronnie asked.

"Of course you can," Megan nearly dragged her in the house putting her arm around Ronnie. Just hearing Megan's southern accent made her feel better. There was something comforting about it. Gave her a homey feel. "What has my brother done now?"

"It's not him exactly. I got bad news at the doctors office," she explained falling onto the pristine white couch. It was amazing that Megan's house stayed so clean with two kids. Most parents went for a darker ensemble so that any stains would be hidden. Megan on the other hand had chosen a white and tan colored carpet.

"Is something wrong with the baby," Megan's hand went instinctively to Ronnie's swollen belly.

"No but my blood pressure is out of whack and I lost weight. The doctor is worried I'm under too much stress. With Annie living so close and them spending so much time together I don't know how I couldn't be stressed."

Megan took Ronnie's flailing arms in hand trying to calm her down. "Take a deep breath. It's not going to help you to get worked up."

Ronnie took a breath feeling her lungs fill with air before blowing it out. She didn't want to hurt the baby but she was starting to feel as if she was drowning. At the very least, sinking in quick sand. "Maybe I should have just stayed in New York. Will wants to be with Annie not me. I'm just getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of what? Do you want my brother back? Is that what we are talking about? It's not like you have come out and told him what you want from him."

"I love him Megan. I miss him so much and there hasn't been a day since our divorce that I haven't wished things had been different," Ronnie sighed and leaned her head against the couch. "If I hadn't killed Emma things would be so different."

"You didn't kill Emma," she enunciated slowly. "He tried everything to get you to see that. All your problems can be boiled down to the fact that you can't forgive yourself. You wouldn't have gone through depression and an eating disorder. You also wouldn't be divorced. Ronnie, it's over, move on. Let Emma go, take what you have, and move on."

Megan was right. In the last two years she had tried blaming everyone for her troubles and when that didn't work she tried to suppress her feeling by not eating. But what hurt the most was letting Will go. Her heart belonged to him and no one would ever be able to take his place. Realizing the truth Megan had just revealed, Ronnie started to cry. "You're right. I want a new start."

Ronnie placed her hand protectively over her stomach feeling lighter than she had felt since her miscarriage. This may not be the family situation she had hoped for but she did have a baby coming who needed her to move on.

Ronnie left Megan's house a few hours later after playing tea party with her niece. Noelle had dressed in her nicest dress that was white with pink polka dots. The small table had been circled with teddy bears and baby dolls and the whole afternoon had made Ronnie excited to be a parent.

When she pulled her Volkswagen in the driveway she was surprised to see Will sitting on the front steps. His face was dark with anger and he sprang up to meet her when she opened the door. His body was tense and anger was radiating off of him.

"I'm not playing this game with you Ronnie. This is my baby too."

Ronnie reluctantly let him help her to her feet but pulled away from him as soon as she had her balance. "What is wrong with you?"

"Megan called and told me about your doctors appointment. You lost three pounds? Where you even going to tell me," he hissed.

"Whoa, wait one second. I just got home it's not like I have been hiding this for days." Ronnie strolled away from him knowing her nonchalant attitude would drive him crazy.

Will scrambled after her and grabbed her arm stopping her progress. "You went to my sister first. When are you going to let me experience this with you?"

Ronnie felt her heart sink knowing he was right. She had deliberately kept him at arms length. It wasn't because of the baby but because she would have to let him go when it was all over. "You're right," she relented. "You're right about everything."

All the anger Will had shown disappeared.

"I forgive myself," she smiled up at him. "For Emma and the divorce. We are going to have a baby Will." For once she didn't over think how she was supposed to act around him as she threw herself into his arms. Will's strong arms embraced her and he lifted her off her feet. "We are going to have a baby."

Ronnie heard him sigh into her hair as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He set her down and the smile he had on his face melted her heart. "We're going to have a baby as long as you take care of yourself."

"Well, I have been craving your jambalaya," she smirked at him.

Will took her hand and led her into the house where he set about preparing dinner for her. It was like old times. They were laughing and enjoying each other's company. The only thing keeping Ronnie from letting her guard down, and telling Will how she felt, was the thought that Annie wasn't out of the picture.

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have been thinking lately about who Will should end up with and I'm not sure that I should go with the obvious choice. What do you think? Please take a second and leave a comment / review. THANKS!_


	12. Chapter 12

Ronnie placed the last plate on the table and stepped back to examine her handy work. The table was decorated in blues and greens that gave it a nice summery feel. Will had invited the whole family over including Annie for dinner that evening. Sliding the spoon in front of her over a few inches to the left, she felt like everything was perfect. The last two weeks Will and Ronnie had finally settled their difference. Every night they would sit down to dinner and Will had been kind enough to not bring Annie around. Things were finally as they should be.

Turning towards the kitchen she saw Will huddled over the counter cutting up vegetables for the salad. He had on a nice button up shirt that was open at the collar showing off his tanned chest. Ronnie felt her heart begin to beat faster. He was magnificent.

"Do you need me to grab the extra chairs from the closet," she asked knowing they would need to pull them out for their guests. Since they had usually ate dinner on the patio or at the bar, all the extra chairs in the kitchen were in the hallway closet.

"Why don't you let me get them? I'm almost done here and when everyone shows up I can put the steaks and shrimp on the barbie," he finished in his best Australian accent.

"I hope you made something I can eat," she laughed.

"Hence, the salad. But since it's my job to fatten you up I have put together a delectable smorgasbord of dessert."

Ronnie smiled," thank goodness. I have been craving some more peach cobbler."

"Yuck, if I never see another peach cobbler after you deliver it will be too soon. Why can't you crave some real food like hot dogs or chocolate cake?"

"Hot dogs," she blanched. "My kid is going to be a vegetarian."

"Our kid is going to eat meat and love it," he waved the knife in his hand. She put her hands up in mock surrender.

After everyone was done eating that night Ronnie tried to suppress the yawn that would tell Will how tired she was. He had been overly protective of her since the doctor's appointment incident where she had lost three pounds. The day had been beautiful but busy. She had gone against his orders and cleaned the house one last time even though their maid had been there the day before. The extra work could be felt all over her body causing her to be sore in her legs and back.

Across the table Will sat beside Annie with his arm around her shoulders. Ronnie had to admit she was very pretty. Even Barbie would be envious of her slim curves. Annie was definitely a tough act to follow. Ronnie looked down at her thickening middle feeling even worse. Why would Will pick her over the model sitting beside him?

Ronnie felt a kick in her side and rubbed the spot till she felt another kick. It was amazing knowing Will's child was resting within her. It made her feel sad for a second remembering how Emma had moved the same way. One minute she had been kicking and Ronnie had heard the heartbeat at her appointments and then the next day she was gone. Another kick to her side made Ronnie remember that she was moving on and had a bright future to look forward to. Ronnie glanced across the table and caught Will's eye.

"If everyone is done I can start clearing the table," Annie stood to her feet and picked up her plate.

"No way, put that down right now," Megan warned. "The women will not be cleaning up tonight."

"I beg to differ woman," Megan's husband interjected. "As I recall the men are the ones who have been winning lately."

The men all grunted in agreement. Even Nick had a big smile on his face. Ronnie had missed nights like this. Will, who seemed very proud of the male dominated winning streak, pulled Annie back down into her seat. "Don't worry you will have plenty of time to clean up after us."

"Your going down Will," Ronnie narrowed her eyes at him.

Will leaned across the table," Bring it on."

"Hold on gentlemen," Susan started in her sweet southern drawl. "I believe since you won the last game it's our turn to decide what we are going to play."

"Pick your poison, it won't matter, we are still going to win," Tom added playfully.

An hour later they were all counting up the final score on their charades game and the women let out a squeal when they found out they won. It had been close but the victory went to the women who had two more points. By then Ronnie was feeling as if she was dragging. She stood to her feet trying to make a quiet exit when her legs gave out beneath her.

Megan's husband, who was the closest, grabbed her arm to steady her. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I think I overdid it. I'm going to slip out," she whispered to him happy that no one else had noticed her moment of weakness. Walking down the hall she stared up the stairs and wondered how she was going to make it on her own. Instead she sat on the second step and put her head on the wall.

"Ronnie," Will crouched down in front of her. "You okay? I was told I should check on you."

"I think I overdid it," she yawned.

Will put his arm underneath her legs and one on her back and lifted her. She knew she had an extra sixteen pounds on her but Will lifted her as if she weighed nothing. The first room on the left was the guest room she was using and was decorated in fall colors that gave the room a warm feeling. He carried her to the bed and placed her gently in the center.

Her eyes were closed but she could feel him pull her sandals off her feet. "You're undressing me," she murmured.

"Yes, ma'am. I am," he chuckled.

"Don't take advantage of me."

"I'll try not to." Will pulled her into a sitting position and leaned her against his chest. He slowly pulled her dress over her head and traded it for her sleeping clothes.

"I love you Will," she said and then fell asleep.

* * *

Will pulled his glasses off his face and rubbed his eyes hoping to get one more hour of work in before he turned in for the night. His guests had gone home hours ago and he was left with the work he had put off. He could have been done by now but Ronnie telling him that she loved him kept playing in his mind. If she hadn't been so tired he knew she wouldn't have said it but it still shook him. What was he supposed to do now?

On his T.V., he had on mute, was the news. Was there really a point to having the sound on when news was on? He could probably give the whole news without a prompter. Someone died, someone got in an accident, and just to lighten the mood they throw in a fluff piece. The whole thing was predictable. But he needed some stimulus to keep him awake.

There was a light knock on his bedroom door. "Come in," he called out. Will tossed his glasses on the side table. Ronnie stood at the door in her burgundy nightdress he had put on her a few hours before. "What are you doing up?"

"I was thirsty so I got up to get a glass of water and saw your light was still on. What are you working on," she asked gesturing towards the pile of papers sprawled out on the bed.

"Some work I've been putting off. Do you want me to get you some water," he asked.

"No, I can do it myself. It's amazing what a few hours sleep can do." Ronnie strolled over to the side table that had a photo beside the bed. She picked it up and ran her hands along the frame. "This was taken at your volleyball tournament the summer we met."

"Yeah, it was taken before you showed up. You can tell how tired I was. I didn't sleep that night thinking it was over between us."

Ronnie smiled and put the photo back on the table. "Then Megan showed up. She was our hero."

"I think she had been trying to be my hero again since the divorce."

"That is a lot of pressure for one person," Ronnie commented. Then Will noticed her wince and rub the side of her rounded belly. "I think our kid is going to be a soccer player or a pain in my side."

Will reached out his hand wanting to feel his baby move but pulled back. He was trying his hardest to keep his distance but the more Ronnie grew the more he wanted to be a part of the experience. It was hard to keep his distance from Ronnie anyways since pregnancy looked good on her. Tonight was no exception. The nightdress she was wearing hugged her in all the right places and hung off her right shoulder making Will feel very aroused.

"Would you like to feel," Ronnie asked.

"I'd love to," he beamed. "Maybe you could stay and watch the rest of the news with me."

"Sounds good."

Will cleaned the papers that were in front of him and then pulled Ronnie on the bed. She settled between his legs and leaned against his chest. The contact between their bodies sent chills down his spine.

"Here," she grabbed his hand and led it to her stomach. "If you rub here the baby likes to kick at your hand." Will allowed her to move his hand in circular motions waiting for the kick he had been dying to feel since she had come back from New York. He heard Ronnie sigh and felt her sink into his body. "That feels so good."

Her mouth was inches away from his and he licked his lips; which felt dry all of a sudden. Then he felt it. The baby had kicked his hand. It was an amazing feeling knowing Ronnie was carrying his child. But it also caused him to feel very protective of her and Annie wasn't too happy about that.

"Wow," he breathed.

Ronnie beamed up at him. "I know. It still amazes me."

They were sitting on his bed with their limbs tangled together and then his lips were on hers. He kissed her deeply letting her feel all the emotions that had been hidden within him. She moved her head slightly allowing him to deepen the kiss. Ronnie moaned driving Will to lose all control. His mouth sought hers over and over reminding him that things were never over between them. When they were like this there were no problems.

"Wait…wait," Ronnie pulled away and stared up into his eyes. He could see the pain and confusion written on her face and he wanted nothing more than to tell her that everything was going to be all right. But he wasn't sure it was. "Annie."

With that one name, Will came crashing down to Earth. He hadn't meant to cheat on her. "I…" he began but had no words.

Ronnie scooted to the edge of the bed and stood to her feet. "Goodnight Will."

He watched her walk out of the room wanting to go after her but not knowing what to say. What could he say? I'm sorry I kissed you? How was that going to help? The only other idea he had was to let her go and talk to her when he sorted out his feelings. The next issue was having to tell Annie about his mistake. She was not going to take it well. Will buried his face in his hands feeling a headache coming on.

_Super excited about this chapter! This moment in the bedroom between Ronnie and Will has been nagging at me for a while. Definitely, one of my favorite moments. Please leave a review / comment. It would make my day!_


	13. Chapter 13

Will checked his watch noticing that the hands were glowing ten minutes past nine. Annie was late; which wasn't like her. She had always been punctual but he was happy that tonight she was running behind. It's not everyday he had to tell someone he cheated on them. Truthfully, he had never been the cheating type. If he wasn't happy in a relationship he had always called it off.

Staring up at the stars, he took a few deep breaths trying to keep his nerves in check. The sailboat he was on swayed back in forth in slow even motions giving the evening a calming effect. How was he going to tell Annie he cheated on her? The whole thing had happened so fast that he was not even sure why he had kissed Ronnie. He remembered feeling the baby move for the first time and then his lips were on hers. Her soft full lips that beckoned to him like drugs to a drug addict. Even now he could feel his heartbeat pick up.

"Permission to come aboard, sailor," Annie stood on the dock holding out her hand for him to take. Her delicate fingers were soft against his skin as he pulled her onto the boat. Before he could get two words out Annie leaned in for a kiss. At first it was a quick peck but Will pulled her tight against him and cupped her face in his hands. The bag she was carrying on her shoulder was immediately dropped to the deck as he deepened their kiss. He heard her moan deep in her throat; which caused him to seek the source of that sound with his mouth. "I brought something for you."

"What's that," he asked before trailing kisses down her neck.

"A key to my apartment. I don't want Ronnie to feel uncomfortable with me around so I figured you could come see me."

Will abruptly let go of Annie at the mention of Ronnie's name. Starting the night out as if nothing was wrong wouldn't help. "What do you think of the boat," he asked trying to change the subject.

"It's great," she answered. "What's the occasion?"

"I need to find somewhere we can talk where you can't run away," he stated. Annie laughed thinking it was a joke but Will knew she wasn't going to think it was funny when she found out he was telling the truth. "The boat belongs to a friend of mine. My volleyball buddy."

"You mean the one who played in the Olympics?"

"That's him. I promised I would bring the boat back in one piece so I may not make it out of the motoring faze."

Will unhooked them from the dock and pushed off before motoring out. The town behind them was getting smaller until all you could see was a floating light show. Picking a spot, he dropped anchor and sat down next to Annie who was dangling her legs off the side.

"It's beautiful," she said in hushed tones. "It makes you want to stay here forever."

"Yeah," he answered with his eyes never leaving her face. She was breathtaking.

"I'm glad you invited me," Annie grinned up at him and then laid her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on top of hers and ran his hand through her hair. He was more sorry than she would ever know.

"I kissed Ronnie," he whispered almost hoping she didn't hear him. Why had he put his relationship in danger when Ronnie had made it perfectly clear where they stood? He kept picking at the scab until he had made it bleed again.

Annie stiffened underneath his touch before she pulled away. The tears in her eyes left a stabbing pain in his heart. "I don't know how to respond to that. Are you telling me that you are getting back together? After you just kissed me?"

"No, baby. Of course not," he cupped her face in his hands and placed a kiss on her nose. Luckily she didn't pull out of his arms but tears started falling down her face. "I'm such a jerk. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know you would never hurt me on purpose. I'm just afraid that in three months, when I am more in love with you than I am now, you are going to choose her."

Will swallowed hard wanting to put her fears at ease but knew he couldn't. His feelings for Ronnie were so complicated and it wouldn't help to lie. He still loved Ronnie there was no doubt about it. But Annie was creating a little spot in his heart that he couldn't ignore and it was growing bigger every day. It was her smile that pulled him through the hard days when he felt the blow of losing Emma weighing down on him.

"We're divorced. The whole thing was orchestrated by her so I don't think there is any going back."

"I wish I could hate her but I can't," Annie sighed. "She lost a baby. I've never had a child myself but I can just imagine how awful that must be. Look, I've resigned myself to the fact that she is going to be in our lives but that is the point, in OUR lives. Us. Together. I want a future with you, Will. I know that may be presumptuous since we have only been together a few months but it's the truth."

Will gazed across the water back to the city, which had lost some of its grandeur. The lights didn't seem to twinkle as much and the stars seemed to have dimmed. "I can't promise anything of a future. This divorce thing is kind of new to me but if there was anyone I wanted to build a future with, it would be you."

* * *

Ronnie stood in front of the mirror shaping her belly with the new shirt she had bought at Pea In The Pod. She had a pair of blue jeans on with a coral tank top that went nicely with the tan she had been working on. She groaned while sneering at the reflection staring back at her. Could she get any bigger? Needless to say she had seen expectant mothers with bigger bellies but she had reached her breaking point. She wanted this baby out now. The only problem was she had three weeks left to go.

"You can do this, Ronnie," she chided. "It's just three more weeks."

Giving herself a final once over she reluctantly realized that this was as good as it got and left the bathroom. The guest room she was staying in looked disheveled and she had wanted to clean it up but Will had caught her working on it the day before and told her to wait till the maid got to it. Thankfully, the maid had shown up that morning because she would have gone out of her mind if it hadn't been cleaned.

Ronnie waddled down the stairs and to the kitchen hoping to find some fruit to snack on when she heard the front door open and Megan call for her down the hall. "In here."

Megan swept in the kitchen with a big mischievous smile on her face and dressed as if she was going to spend the day at the local golf club. "How is my favorite sister doing today?"

Ronnie opened the fridge door and peered through the overflowing shelves till she found a container of cantaloupe. "Am I still pregnant," she asked showing off her enormous belly. Megan nodded. "Then I have been better."

"Oh, no. You have the cranky last month thing going on."

Lifting the top from the container, Ronnie viciously stabbed the fruit with her fork. "Well, I'm swollen and fat," she whined. "Not to mention I have front row seats to watch Will and Annie fall in love."

"You say that as if it is a bad thing," Megan beamed.

"Yes, every woman loves to watch her ex-husband fall in love with someone else," Ronnie sarcastically shot back.

Megan traversed the Kitchen Island and linked arms with Ronnie. "As I see it you are in a very good position right now. How is he supposed to fall in love with Annie when you are constantly around to remind him of your life together?"

"I guess kissing him also helps," Ronnie mumbled.

Megan's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "What do you mean? You kissed him?"

"Well, he sort of kissed me. But now that I have forgiven myself for the divorce and Emma I realize that I want to start over with him. I want our family."

"Finally, now the girl is making sense," Megan joked while pulling Ronnie in her arms to give her a hug. "My brother loves you. He has only ever wanted you."

"What about Annie," she asked into Megan's hair.

Megan pulled back but kept her hands on Ronnie's shoulders. "Annie made sense if he had to move on but he belongs with you. I am a firm believer in soul mates and you two are lucky enough to have found that one special person."

Ronnie grabbed the back of one of the bronze stools and sat down. Her feet were killing her from the extra twenty pounds she was carrying around. "Now what?"

"Don't worry I have a plan."

"You always do. So what is it?"

Megan smirked," You'll know when you see it."

Ronnie crossed her arms over her belly trying to look intimidating but knew she couldn't pull it off. "Not even a hint?"

"Let's just say that someone may be paying a visit to you tomorrow during my parent's charity golf tournament."

* * *

Ronnie shielded her eyes from the sun that was beating down on the links. The golf tournament would start off in the next few minutes and all the golfers and their families were waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Blakelee to kick off the event. Beside her Megan and her husband were trying to keep the kids preoccupied while Will, Scott, and Annie were on the other side discussing who was going to win on their team. Scott, who lived in California, had come on vacation to support the charity that had started up after Will's brother had died. All the proceeds for the event went to the children's hospital and some of the kids who were patients there had shown up to watch the festivities.

"You're not going to join us Ronnie," Scott called out to her. "That's okay I would feel bad having to beat up on a pregnant woman."

"I could kick your butt any day, pregnant or not. I just don't want to hurt your male ego."

Will covered his mouth trying to act like he was coughing instead of laughing. The sun beat down on Ronnie and she lifted her hair to let the slight breeze cool her off. It was a great day for the event and she hoped it pulled in a lot of money for them.

"Don't worry Scott," Annie chimed in. "Golf was never my game so I should be easy to beat."

"I think my male pride just got stomped on," Scott groaned.

As Tom Blakelee began the opening ceremony Ronnie watched Will out of the corner of her eye. He pulled Annie into his arms and nuzzled her neck while she let out a few high-pitched squeals. She couldn't help it when she rolled her eyes. Did they have to do that right in front of her?

"I want to thank you all again for your continued support and we wish all the golfers a great game," Tom finished. There was a round of applause from the crowd and the first golfers went to tee off.

"I just want to let you all know that the trophy this year is mine," Scott joked.

"I thought it was yours last year," Megan laughed. "Or was it the year before that."

"That was cold. Can you get your wife under control," Scott asked Megan's husband.

Out of nowhere, Ronnie was swiveled around and lowered over someone's arm while familiar lips pressed against hers.

_I know I am horrible leaving this on a cliffhanger but what did you all think? Who is this mystery man? Please take a minute and leave a review / comment it would be much appreciated._


	14. Chapter 14

Will was inwardly seething while he watched a man he hadn't seen since college walk up to Ronnie, stretch her over his arm, and kiss her. The fact that any man would touch her, especially when she was carrying his child, made him want to kill something, preferably the idiot making a fool of himself. The kiss seemed to linger on as the man's mouth skillfully melded with Ronnie's. Since they had kissed many times before Will wasn't surprised.

The man righted Ronnie and held her arm to make sure she had steady footing after she swayed on her feet. "Alston Clifton, what are you doing here," Ronnie asked. She straightened her shirt and at least had the decency to blush.

"Alston, haven't seen you in a long time," Will extended his hand hoping to get him to take his hand off Ronnie. Alston, who was thoroughly British and usually had a flock of girls trailing after him, extended his hand while staying right by Ronnie's side. He smirked at Will, playing into their usual game. In college Alston had been a close friend of his until Will and Ronnie had gone through a rough patch where they split up for six months. During that time Alston had cozied up to Ronnie and had dated her behind his back. One night Will had found them making out in Alston's dorm and had quickly ended their friendship.

"Well, old boy, I told you that if I ever heard of Ronnie being available again I would be back to sweep her off her feet and here I am." Alston grinned at Ronnie causing Will to clench his fist at his side. The man knew how to push his buttons. If he wasn't careful he would soon know what it feels like to have his brain bashed in.

"It's good to see you again Alston," Megan shook his hand looking very pleased with herself. "I was surprised when I heard you were going to be in town and then I thought to myself, I must plan for him to meet up with us."

Will noted the wink Megan sent Ronnie's way. His sister played the perfect angel well with everyone else but he had always been able to see through it. Something was going on and Megan was at the center of it.

"Hey, it's time for us to tee off," Scott awkwardly interjected.

"I just got here," Alston turned to Ronnie. "Must you go?"

"I'm not playing today," Ronnie answered still seeming tongue tied by Alston's sudden appearance. At least that's what Will hoped it was from and not the kiss.

"This works out perfectly. Now Ronnie doesn't have to be alone with the kids. Isn't that great Will," Annie asked searching his face for clues on how he felt about the situation.

"Fantastic," Will muttered hoping to placate Annie.

As the group walked towards the waiting golf carts Will traveled behind them hoping to hear what Alston had to say. Instead Megan linked her arm with his and pulled him along after her. "What are you playing at, sis?"

"Moi," she pointed to herself giving him the best innocent look she could muster. "Whatever are you talking about?"

Will tugged on her arm stopping her from getting in the golf cart. "I'm talking about Alston. You know I can't stand him."

"You can't but Ronnie can. I figured it was fair since you have Annie. It's not a problem is it Will?"

"Heck yeah, it's a problem. The man is a weasel." Will gazed over at Annie who was currently ribbing Scott about his golf swing that he was showing off. She threw her head back and laughed at a joke Scott made and Will wondered to himself how anyone could be so perfect. Annie was everything he needed her to be. She was kind and supportive. There was never a time when things were complicated with her. She had even forgiven him about his kissing Ronnie. But was she the right one for him? He had lain awake wondering that many nights. Or was he even enough for her?

"Is she the one," Megan asked gesturing towards Annie.

Down the lawn he saw Ronnie being led by Alston towards the pool with Noelle and Nick following on their heels. They looked like the perfect little family and it drove Will nuts to think that they could have that. Two beautiful children who looked like their mom would be heaven. "I made Annie a promise that I wouldn't change my mind. It's over Megan, just drop it."

Will placed the golf club he had been messing with back in his bag and settled in beside Scott in the cart. The day had just begun and already he felt beat down. It was going to be a long day with the game and the dinner that night. Hopefully he would be able to keep it together. Glancing back up the hill, Will watched Alston grab Ronnie's hand and place a kiss on her knuckles. It was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Ronnie slowly sank down onto the deck lounger and grabbed the sunscreen from her bag. The kids had changed into their bathing suits and were jumping around excited to get the day started. Noelle stood in front of her and Ronnie squeezed the lotion on her skin making her squeal because it was cold. Ronnie worked the sunscreen in making sure that she didn't miss anything and let the girl go so that she could do the same for Nick.

"You gonna go swimming with us Aunt Ronnie," Nick asked.

"Not right now, little man. I'm going to talk to Alston and then the rest of the day is yours." Nick gave her a quick hug and then followed after his sister to the kids' pool.

"You're really good with them. You are going to be a great mum."

Ronnie smiled at Alston enjoying his accent that used to make her melt like butter. It had been many years since she had seen Alston and one of the last times had been when she had broke off their "relationship", if you could call it that. When you think of relationships you think of getting to know that person and falling in love with who they are. But they had spent little time talking during their brief affair. Ronnie had been hurting from her breakup with Will and what she needed was Alston. He was someone she assumed wouldn't expect too much from her and would be a good rebound. Little did she know that Alston had a crush on her and wanted a real relationship. He was even willing to let go of his friendship with Will for her.

"What are you doing here Alston," Ronnie asked.

"You don't believe I am here to sweep you off your feet?"

Ronnie considered that for a moment taking in his appearance. Alston was always very handsome and time had been good to him. If anything he was even better looking than he had been in college. His sandy brown hair and green eyes went nicely with his light skin and regal nose that he joked came from a long line of nobility. She was surprised to see that he didn't have his usual girl of the week hanging off his arm but he could have grown out of that phase. He had been able to be faithful to her while they were dating.

"Even if you were you can see that I am in no position to be swept off my feet. More like hauled by a crane," she joked, poking fun at her overly pregnant belly.

"You look lovely," his eyes flashed a hunger she recognized well. "But you are right. I am not here to steal you away. Megan has sent me on a covert operation."

The pool area was quiet because of the charity event but Ronnie kept her eyes glued to the kids. It only took a few seconds for something to go wrong. "And what kind of operation is that?"

"To bring Will to his knees with jealousy. I should say I am off to a good start. You should have seen his face after I kissed you. But I guess you were too distracted by my excellent kissing abilities and sudden reappearance in your life."

Noelle, who was the daredevil of the two kids, jumped into the kids' pool with a big splash making Nick cry from the water being thrown in his eye. "Noelle, don't jump around your brother. He doesn't like it when you get water in his eyes," Ronnie advised. Turning back to Alston, Ronnie noticed the gleam in his eye that showed her he had enjoyed their kiss too. He was a great kisser there was no denying that. "Why would you help me?"

"As great as you are darling, I am really doing this for myself. I owe Will a favor for the last time I tried to steal you away. I'm going to fix your marriage and then I'm going home to a nice Italian woman who I have had my eye on."

Ronnie was surprised that Alston would do anything for either of them since they had both stopped talking to him when Will and her got back together. It had never been her intention to end their friendship but she knew Will would be uncomfortable with them remaining friends. No matter what the reason, she was happy to have someone on her side. Maybe Alston could make Will see what his being with Annie was doing to her.

"So how are we going to do this," she asked.

* * *

Hours later Will was trying hard to ignore the jokes being thrown his way over the horrible round of golf he had just played. He had tried hard to remain focused on what he was doing but Alston and Ronnie were not far from his mind. Did the man have to show up now? He thought he had gotten rid of him years ago.

"I have to go collect the kids. I'll see you all for dinner," Megan waved before linking her arms with her husbands and walking off. "I will have to take you golfing more often little brother. That was the most interesting game I have ever seen."

"Very funny," Will muttered. "What about you Annie? Want to go for a swim? We have a few hours before the dinner starts."

"Yeah that sounds great. What about you Scott?"

"Sounds good," Scott took off towards his room.

Will took Annie's hand and led her back towards the pool where their room was and caught sight of Alston and Ronnie. Ronnie was standing on the deck in her teal bikini with Alston right beside her and Noelle holding on to him for dear life.

"You ready," Alston asked the dripping wet Noelle. She shook her head and he careened towards the pool and jumped in. The splash caused water to overflow onto the deck and Nick and Ronnie clapped in amusement.

"Again, again," Noelle cheered when they reached the surface.

"One more time and then I have to escort your Aunt Ronnie to her room so that she can get some much needed rest," Alston answered.

"Looks like you guys are having fun," Annie called out to them alerting them of their presence.

Ronnie turned to him and gave him a half smile. She had obviously been in the sun the whole time since her skin was taking on a pink glow. Her hand was resting protectively on her protruding belly and Will felt his heartbeat pick up. She was beautiful, especially while she was carrying his child.

"That didn't take long," Megan stepped up to them in her blue and white striped bikini. Nick walked over to her with his arms stretched out so she picked him up and placed him on her hip. "How is my little man?" She placed a kiss on his head.

"Well, now that you are back I am going to go lay down for a while. I'll see you all at the dinner," Ronnie picked up her towel and bag.

"I'll go with you," Alston said while wrapping his towel around his waist.

Will watched them walk away feeling a burning anger rising within his chest. Who did he think he is? Ronnie was his. Or, well, she was.

_I'm really excited about this new character. Not only is he a competitor for Ronnie's heart but opens up a door for me to write some history about Will and Ronnie's college years. Alston may be there to help Ronnie and Will get back together but he also has some unresolved feelings for Ronnie. So, what do you think? Please leave a comment / review! Thanks_


	15. Chapter 15

Will joined the other men who were waiting for their dates at the bottom of the stairs. Tonight was his parent's charity dinner where they would give out trophies for the golf tournament that had happened earlier in the day. He had never been up for an award but today his golf game had reached a new low.

The chandelier above gleamed a brilliant orange glow that gave the place a warm inviting feeling. There were long white drapes hanging from the ceiling to frame the marble staircase and a bouquet of exotic flowers at each end. His mother had done a good job putting the day together. They had a huge turnout numbering close to a thousand people and the children's hospital would receive a sizeable check that night.

"Hello, William," Will turned to see Alston coming up behind him. He was dressed in a tux making Will think that Alston had been planning this evening for weeks. His sister had really stepped in it this time. Ronnie didn't need any more complications in her life and he didn't need a new reason to bash Alston's face in.

"Alston," Will nodded in his direction but kept his attention towards the stair hoping Annie would make her appearance. Or maybe someone would spontaneously break into song and dance giving him an excuse to ignore him. Any distraction would be appreciated.

"What? No jabs in my direction? I believe it was you who always had to have the last laugh," Alston commented. "Or is that just when you stab your friends in the back?"

Will glanced over to Alston who, despite the direction the conversation was going, looked very put together. It's true that Will had stabbed him in the back but after he had hooked up with Ronnie Will figured their friendship was over. The saying goes that all is fair in love and war and Will had taken it to the next step. One weekend when he was tired of their separation, he had kidnapped Ronnie and taken her to Hawaii where he spent countless hours reminding her of why they belonged together.

Will smiled to himself remembering how they had spent most of their time in the hotel room. If he closed his eyes he could hear the sound of the ocean coming through the open balcony doors and blending with her soft moans of ecstasy. The way Ronnie said his name while they made love drove Will crazy.

"I was wondering though, how it feels to know that she was back in my bed within hours of reaching Hawaii," he bit back.

Alston smiled clearly enjoying their banter. Will turned back to the stairs noticing Annie for the first time. She was dressed in a white Grecian dress that hung off one shoulder and decorated with pewter heels. She was a vision that attracted all the men's attentions to her. Scott, who had just joined them, was no exception.

"I think I just died and went to heaven," Scott joked.

"Put your eyes back in your head," Will admonished. "The lady is with me." Annie glided down the steps coming towards him like a dream. Taking the last few steps in front of him, Will took her hand and placed a kiss on her lips. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said bowing her head to hide the blush on her face.

"Wow," Will heard Alston say from behind them. He thought he was commenting on Annie but Alston had his focus towards the top of the stairs where Ronnie had made her appearance.

Will's breath caught in his throat as he saw Ronnie donned in a strapless olive green floor length gown. Her hair was long and flowing over her shoulders with a slight curl. Alston climbed the stairs before taking her arm in his and leading her down the steps.

"You look fantastic," Annie commented to Ronnie.

"Thank you. So do you," Ronnie beamed at her. "Are we waiting for Megan?"

"No, she is with mom since she is going to be a presenter tonight," Will answered.

The night flew by with awards being given out for the golf tournament and a few speeches about the organization that the money would go to. Megan had given the back-story to why the charity was set up. She had cried a little when talking about their brother and Will had to quietly wipe away a tear that had slipped out. Then the dance floor had been opened up for couples to take the floor. Scott had asked Annie to dance before he could ask her and Alston and Ronnie were on the floor leaving him all alone with his thoughts.

He knew he should be watching Scott to make sure he didn't try any funny business but he couldn't take his eyes off of Ronnie. Why did she have to dress like that anyways? She might as well offer herself to Alston since her dress was certainly sending out the wrong signal. She was going to be a mother. She didn't have time to be starting a relationship with Alston. Was she going to start a relationship with him? He knew it was too early to tell but his nerves had been on edge since the spineless bane of his existence had shown up.

Then there was Annie who had been very aware of his sour mood all day. Just his luck she would be ready for an argument at the end of the night. He wished he could control it but he had never had very much control where Ronnie was concerned. They had been divorced for eight months now and he still felt like he was responsible for her.

Will picked up the glass of champagne in front of him and downed it. When he looked up he noticed that Alston now had Annie in his arms.

"Where did Ronnie go," Will asked Scott who had just sat down in the seat beside him.

"She said she needed some air. By the way, have I told you how lucky you are with women? Annie is one hot little number."

Will stood to his feet and patted Scott on the back. "I think I need some air too. I'll see you later."

"Fine. Just don't be mad when I slip Annie my room key," he joked.

"I'm not worried," Will threw back at him.

Back in the lobby, Will strode towards the door hoping to find Ronnie when he heard music. The six white pillars in the lobby were colored from lights at their base and kept the piano out of sight. Will passed by the exit and saw Ronnie seated at the piano.

"You're not tired of Alston yet, are you," Will jeered.

"Not at all," Ronnie stopped playing to give Will her full attention. "My feet have been hurting so I stepped out for a break."

"You were getting awfully comfortable with him on the dance floor."

Ronnie shot off the piano bench and moved to walk away but Will grabbed her arm in a tight grip. "Let me go. I don't want to do this with you."

Will's grip tightened on her arm. "If you didn't parade yourself around with him we wouldn't have to."

Ronnie yanked her arm out of his grasp and rubbed the spot where his hand had been noticing the red mark he had left. "Don't go there, when you hang all over Annie whenever I am around. It's not easy for me Will."

"And you think it was easy for me in college when you two were together? I know how it feels. I was the one who stayed up alone tortured by the fact that you were with him. It gnawed at me that he was touching you and making love to you when I should have been."

"Will?" Will turned to see Annie and Alston standing behind him with their arms locked together. She was smiling from ear to ear and he figured she hadn't heard what they were talking about. "Scott said I could find you out here. He also gave me his room key, which I must say was kind of awkward for me. Anyways, I was hoping I could steal you away for a while. May I," she directed her question to Ronnie.

"Be my guest," Ronnie answered. "I think I have had enough fun for one night. Alston, would you mind escorting me to my room?"

"I would love to. Annie," he bent over her hand and proceeded to Ronnie's side. Will watched them walk away feeling his hand, ball into a fist. It had been the tenth time it had done that all day.

"Follow me," Annie whispered in his ear. She led him out into the night where the stars were shining bright in the sky. The warm breeze tickled his skin as she had him settle in one of the golf carts and drove off towards the greens.

"Where are you taking me," he asked dropping a kiss on her bare shoulder.

"There," Annie pointed towards the ninth hole that he noticed was lit up with candles. The cart pulled up to a row of candles that became a ring around the green. There had to be close to a thousand candles all glowing warmly. In the center was a blanket spread out with a wicker picnic basket in the center. "I asked your mother for a favor."

"This is all for me?"

"I noticed you have been really stressed lately and I though you could use some pampering. So after you have some dessert I am going to give you the best massage you have ever had," she grinned. "Supposedly this would be strictly forbidden but your mom pulled a few strings for us."

Will ran his hands through his hair trying to get his thoughts in order. He had been right. She was too good for him. This angel never thought of herself or what she could get out of their relationship. Her focus was always on others and their comfort. "Why do you stay with me Annie?"

"What do you mean," she asked while sitting down on the blanket. He watched her take out two plastic containers of the chocolate cake that he hadn't partaken in earlier.

"It's just one thing after the other with me. I'm a mess and I keep making mistakes but you still love me," Will started pacing back and forth.

"I can deal with a lot of things except dishonesty but so far I haven't had to worry about that."

"I just don't get it. Most people would have run away already."

Annie stood to her feet and stopped right in front of him so that he could no longer pace. "I'm not going anywhere." Then her lips sought his. Will pulled her against him roughly so that their bodies were pressed together. He was done worrying about Alston and Ronnie for the night. He would have plenty of time to break them up the next day.

"Can we enjoy our little picnic now," Annie asked. "It did take me all afternoon to set these out after the tournament."

"It must have," he chuckled. "Did you clear out a whole store?"

"Close. The hard part was to find someone who would light these for me while I was devising a plan to steal you away."

Will sat down and directed her into his lap while she shared a piece of cake with him. The night was beautiful and in the back of his mind he knew that there still were a million problems waiting for him the next day but he didn't care. Yet again, Annie had given him piece or mind that everything was going to turn out all right.

_Sorry this chapter took so long. I have been really busy lately. I would like to know what you think of this chapter so please leave a review/comment. Thanks!_


	16. Chapter 16

Ronnie sat huddled against Alston on the couch feeling her eyelids drooping closed. The soft throw blanket she had on her had fallen down to her legs so he reached down and pulled it over her shoulder. She sighed feeling content in his arms and burrowed deeper into his side.

"I don't think you are going to make it much longer, my dear," he rubbed her arm to warm her up. She tried to answer but it came out as a groan. "I think we will have to wait till tomorrow to finish this charade."

Ronnie yawned while nodding her head in agreement. There was no reason to keep waiting. It was already an hour into the morning and she wouldn't be surprised if Will had decided to spend the night with Annie. Yuck! Just the thought of him sleeping with her made Ronnie's skin crawl.

Alston stood to his feet and grabbed the remote so that he could turn the T.V. off. The room that had been filled with light was now in semi-darkness because of a small wall sconce on the back wall. He looked down at her for a minute and she wondered what he was thinking. They had once been lovers. Obviously before she had become round with Will's child.

On nights that they spent together did he reminisce about the nights they used to share? Did he even remember them the way she did? Although he was no Will, Will was no Alston. The man in front of her was a true romantic.

"Let me get you to bed," Alston bent down and picked her up in his arms. Ronnie breathed in his scent while resting her head on his shoulder. He smelled amazing. It was a mixture of male and aftershave.

"You smell good," she mumbled.

"Well, thank you. I thought it was time I took a shower."

Ronnie smirked not fully capable of a hearty laugh. She felt him push against her bedroom door as he turned the dimmers on. Alston leaned over the bed and placed her gently on top of the comforter.

"Sleep well," he whispered over her and then placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Ronnie rolled over and stuck out her arm towards him. "Stay."

Alston took her hand in his and ran his other hand down his face. "Making Will jealous is one thing. Sleeping with the woman he loves is something completely different."

"Not to make Will jealous. You look tired and I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be driving."

He seemed to contemplate it for a second and then started walking towards the door. "I'm going to lock up the house. I'll be right back."

Ronnie closed her eyes and listened to Alston move about the house. It was faint until she heard him come back upstairs and into her room. He lightly settled on the other side of the bed while he took his shoes off and pulled off his button down shirt leaving him in his undershirt and pants.

The bed moved under his weight and Ronnie felt her body slide back against his. He tucked her against him and pulled the cover over the two of them.

"Sweet dreams, my love," she heard him say before falling asleep.

* * *

Will unlocked his front door wondering why the house seemed so quiet for eight in the morning. Usually Ronnie was up by eight since she had been having a hard time sleeping lately. He could understand since he had spent the whole night in his office. Annie had not been happy that he had to cancel their date the night before but he had been backed up at work. There were papers to fill out and reports to run that had kept him there till three in the morning and ended with him sleeping on the couch in his office.

Will sauntered into the kitchen and dropped his computer bag on the countertop. He stretched his hands over his head feeling the pull through his aching back. Sitting on the couch in his office was one thing, sleeping on it was a form of torture.

He rubbed his eyes while trying to find the stairs. Everything in front of him seemed to be moving to the point where he had to cross his eyes to see straight. Now all he needed was to find his bed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, that he had made it up the stairs, he crept forward and opened up the door trying to check in on Ronnie. Then he saw Alston and his senses seemed to kick back into gear. The day didn't seem as fuzzy as it had a moment ago.

"What are you doing," he bellowed awakening the sleeping pair. Alston had his arm slung over her swollen belly making Will even angrier.

Ronnie seemed confused by his sudden appearance until she saw Alston behind her. Will watched her face turn red in embarrassment. "It's not what it looks like."

"It better not be. This is my house. You want to sleep with your boyfriend do it elsewhere."

This seemed to wake her up because she got awkwardly to her feet and stood toe-to-toe with him, or as close as her belly would allow. "We have our clothes on. I didn't sleep with him or least in the way you are alluding to."

"Good to know," he bit back sarcastically. "Get out of my house Alston."

"What is your problem? She is a grown girl. She can make her own decisions."

"Not in my house," Will stepped right in front of Alston. His face was a few inches away and he could feel the adrenaline running through his body.

"Fine. Ronnie, you want to take this back to my hotel room," Alston asked with an arrogant smirk on his face.

Will couldn't help himself when his fist slammed into Alston's nose. There was a satisfying crunch that told him he had broken a bone or two. He tried to go after Alston again but Ronnie moved between them.

"Just stop it. What is wrong with you, Will?"

"Me," Will pointed at his chest. "Nothing now. All of a sudden I feel a lot better."

Ronnie rolled her eyes and then helped Alston sit on the bed. He was holding his nose in his hand while blood trickled onto his white shirt. "Help me get him to the hospital."

* * *

The hospital was buzzing with activity in the emergency room and it took a whole hour before they took Alston back to a room. Apparently, unless you are not breathing, you don't qualify as a real "emergency." This had left Alston bent over in the chair beside Ronnie moaning in pain and Will trying hard not to smile each time.

He truly wished he could feel sorry for what he had done, especially since his parents had taught him better than to throw punches when you are angry with someone. Instead Will slouched back in the blue plastic chairs humming the tune of We Are The Champions by Queen. His leg was thrown haphazardly on the seat in front of him and his hands were intertwined behind his head.

"You're real proud of yourself, aren't you," Ronnie asked. Unlike him, she looked quite shaken with everything that had gone down. She had thrown on the clothes she had worn the day before but had done little else to clean herself up. There was no makeup on her face and her hair was sticking out in all directions from a ponytail she had most likely slept in. Her little foot was also bobbing her leg up and down in a rhythmic motion. It kind of reminded him of the time he found her sleeping on the beach after a night of watching over the sea turtles.

"I wouldn't go right to proud. I would make a quick stop at mildly pleased and "boy that felt good."

Ronnie scowled at him. "You really blew it this time. You hurt the man who is here to help you."

Will edged forward in his seat trying to understand her last statement. What was she talking about? Here to help him? The only thing Alston ever did for him was stand in the perfect spot so that he could punch him in the face. "Ronnie, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, never mind," then she turned and walked away.

"Ronnie," he called out to her but she was already at the automatic doors.

"Will." Will turned to see Annie in her scrubs walking towards him and according to her face she wasn't happy. Her delicate hands were perched on her hips and all the other people in the room turned to stare at them.

"Somebody's in trouble," the man next to him sing songed.

"Let's take this into the other room," Annie turned on her heels and headed towards the double wooden doors that were only opened by a hospital keycard. She bent over and placed the card right in the center of the black square and the doors popped open. Without a word she led him down a long aisle of beds that were only separated by walls made of sheets. Then she abruptly turned the corner and headed across the hall to an empty room. "Well, you broke his nose in two places. That must have been quite a punch you threw."

"I guess he told you everything," Will asked while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. It was a nervous tick he had never been able to get rid of.

"He told me that you found them in bed together this morning and that you told them not to sleep together in your house. When he offered to take her back to his hotel room you laid him out. Does this sound about right?"

"It seems like he hit on the important points."

Annie had her arms crossed over her chest and for someone who was much shorter than him she was very intimidating. "I guess I got all the information then." Annie turned to leave but paused with her hand on the door. "I've never seen anyone fight over their ex the way you do."

"Annie…"

She turned back to him with tears in her eyes," maybe you need to figure out what that means."

"I know what it means," he snapped angrily. "Alston just pushed my buttons. It has nothing to do with Ronnie."

"Either way," she finished softly," I'm going to be visiting my family in Texas for the next two weeks. This gives us time to think about us."

"What is there to think about," Will asked, now pacing across the room. "She divorced me. Even if, in an alternate reality, I wanted her back it's not going to happen. You saw her with Alston. It's obvious she is ready to move on."

"It's an act, Will. If you could see what I see, the way she looks at you, you wouldn't believe that she is ready to move on." Annie ran her hands through her hair and breathed a deep sigh. "I got to get back to work."

Will watched her walk away unable to follow her. Had she seen something in Ronnie that he hadn't seen? The thought kept him rooted to the spot. What did this mean for him? There was no mistaking that he was still in love with her but could he trust her not to run away if things got rough again? That was one thing he loved about Annie. She wasn't afraid to deal with problems. If something stood in her way she faced it head on.

Will shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. When had life become so complicated? He was about to become a parent by the woman he thought didn't love him anymore. Now it looks like she does but he is also dating a woman he is sure is in love with him.

Could things get any worse?

_Thanks for reading! Please take a second and leave a review/comment. It will be much appreciated!_


	17. Chapter 17

Will strolled into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. He took a long drink feeling the refreshing liquid cool his body. He had just come back from a long drive that he hoped would clear his thoughts about Annie. She had been gone for twelve days and hadn't bothered to call him once.

Since Annie had been gone he had considered what she said about Ronnie but Will just couldn't see it. If Ronnie wanted him back she had a weird way of showing it. Kissing Alston, and finding them in bed together seemed to tell a different tale. To be fair, she hadn't been the one to initiate the kiss but it didn't absolve her of the fact that she kissed him back.

Looking out at the water, Will saw Ronnie sitting on the porch with a book propped open in her lap. He smiled to himself thinking of all the times he had seen her in the same position. His wife was an avid reader, or ex-wife. Will took another sip of water and put the bottle back in the fridge.

Will opened the sliding glass door and closed it behind him startling Ronnie. "It's just me," he smiled.

She smiled back at him and held up the book she was reading. It wasn't her normal classic but a racy romance novel about Highlanders. "Everyone needs an easy read sometimes."

Will sunk into the chair across from her, intertwining his hands behind his head. "How are you feeling today?"

Ronnie put a bookmark in her book and placed it on the table in front of her. "I'm okay. Ready for this to be over." She tugged her hair out of her ponytail and rearranged it into a bun. "I haven't seen Annie around lately."

Will sighed," She is visiting her family in Texas and I could say the same thing about Alston."

"I figured it was safer to see him somewhere else."

"Good observation," he smirked. "My question is why are you seeing him?"

Ronnie stared at the glass of sweet tea in front of her before picking it up and taking a long sip. She fingered the dew on the outside of the glass until the whole thing was translucent again. Then her gaze lifted back up to him. "I'm not. I never was."

The ocean breeze flapped the festive flags behind Will grabbing his attention. It was a beautiful day out but talking about Alston really put a dark cloud over his head. "What do you mean you were never seeing him?"

She took a deep breath and scooted to the edge of her seat. "This whole thing was a really bad idea but in my defense I didn't ask him to come. Now I feel like this is all my fault because you broke his nose. It wasn't supposed to go this far," she rambled.

Will grabbed her hands that she was wringing on her belly. "Whoa, slow down. What is going on?"

"Alston is not here for me Will. He's here to make things right with you," Ronnie swiped at a tear that was rolling down her cheek. "He has felt bad about dating me in college despite the fact that he knew you would be angry. So he came here to make you jealous so that you would take me back."

Will closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She may be the woman he was in love with but she truly knew how to push his buttons. "Take you back? I seem to remember you leaving me. Not the other way around."

"I know that is what makes this worse," Ronnie slid off her chair and crouched down in front of Will. "I love you. I was just so angry about Emma and how you never seemed to be hurting so I wanted to hurt you."

Will sat silent while Ronnie grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips. "You didn't think that losing my child was enough?"

She laid her head against his hand," You never opened up to me. It was only after the divorce that your mother told me about how you go to Emma's grave every week to talk to her and leave her flowers."

Will helped Ronnie to her feet and then sat her down on his lap. Her head fell onto his shoulder and he closed his arms around her. It was a moment he knew was going to be short lived. "You're right. I should have opened up to you. I was just afraid that I was going to fall apart too and who would have taken care of you."

Ronnie sat on his lap till the sun started setting in the horizon. The beach was starting to clear out and there was a hum in the air from the chatter of happy families. He wasn't sure if Ronnie had fallen asleep but her breathing had evened out to a nice slow deep pace.

"I wish I could be Annie," he heard her whisper.

"What?"

"You're falling in love with her and I wish it was me. I've experienced life and lost a baby. I can't be everything you need me to be all the time because I have issues to work out and pain to wok through."

Will gently pushed against her arms till she was sitting up straight. "Who said that is what I want? Maybe I want to be with someone who knows what I have been through?"

* * *

Will messed with the custom cuff link on his crisp white shirt till he was sure it was on correctly. His kitchen had bags on the counters and he watched while Ronnie put the groceries away. He had offered to help her but was met with a snort of indignation and a lecture about how she was pregnant and not disabled. He had to admit it was fun to watch her wattle around holding one item in her hand while she supported her back with the other. At the rate in which she was moving she would be done putting things away by the following Tuesday. This had led him to sneak a few items to the right spot while her back was turned.

Under one of the bags he saw his phone light up that he had a message and grabbed it hoping to hear some good news about the new shop that had opened in California a week ago. He had a vested interest in the place since he had suggested to his dad that the area would be perfect to start a west coast division.

"Will, it's Annie. I just wanted you to know that my flight was cancelled and I won't be coming home till tomorrow. I will call you later to tell you when I land. See you soon."

He must have showed his concern because Ronnie had stopped putting groceries away to watch him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," he dropped the phone back on the counter and started working on his other cuff link. "Annie was supposed to go to a wedding with me tonight but I guess I am going solo."

"Who's getting married?"

"Ryan and Marie."

Ronnie smiled," I can't believe it took him this long to get her to the altar. They have been together as long as we have."

"Well, you ladies are pigheaded. I tried to get you to the altar quite a few years before we got married," he chuckled.

"I figured Columbia was enough of a shock for your mother. Marrying me before you graduated college would have sent her over the edge," Ronnie shot back.

Will picked up the new carton of soymilk and poured himself a glass. "You could go with me. To be honest I haven't told them we are divorced yet. If I go solo there will be many questions."

Ronnie put the last item in the cupboard and shut the door. "What were you going to say when Annie showed up with you?"

"I was hoping no one would say anything since she was there." He downed the liquid and rinsed out his glass. "What do you say? Should be more fun than sitting here all alone."

Ronnie looked down at the jean capris she was wearing and the cranberry camisole. "What will I wear? I didn't exactly plan to go to a wedding."

"How about the dress you wore to the fundraiser? You looked gorgeous in that." He watched her cheeks turn pink from the compliment. His hand flexed and he put it in his pocket to stop himself from grabbing her and pulling her into his arms. "I need to leave in half an hour. Is this enough time?"

She turned on her heel and headed towards the stairs throwing back that she could make it. He knew she would want to see the wedding anyways. In college she had been pretty close to Marie since they both went to Juilliard. Marie had been there on a dance scholarship and Ronnie had set her up with his long time buddy Ryan.

Fifteen minutes later Ronnie breezed back into the kitchen holding a pair of high heels in her hands. Her hair was in a side ponytail with her hair cascading down her shoulder. She was wearing the green dress he had suggested. "Wow," he murmured.

"Presentable?"

Will smiled wondering how she could even ask. She was much more than presentable. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "You'll do," he joked.

"Thanks for that overwhelming vote of confidence. It's not bad enough that I feel like a cow."

Will walked up behind her and pulled her against him. He reached out his hands and placed them on her belly. "This is my child you carry, which makes you even more beautiful to me."

He felt her body stiffen in his embrace and released her. "I think we should go."

* * *

They drove an hour to reach their destination; which was a small garden where you walked down into the woods to a grand oak tree with a gazebo underneath. There were a few people she knew and some old friends from college who waved at her as she walked by with Will.

The ceremony lasted forty-five minutes where she cursed her pregnancy hormones for crying. It wasn't a few tears but a stream coming out of the corner of her eyes. Will smiled down at her every time he handed her a new tissue making her elbow him in the side. It wasn't funny. She was a walking disaster.

After the ceremony was over Will helped her walk back up to the reception area by holding her arm and making sure she didn't fall over the many roots sticking out of the ground. She had learned her lesson once on not falling while you are pregnant. The last time had cost her her first child.

"Ronnie," Makayla, a friend from Will's past called out. She had taken a few marine biology classes with Will while he was at Columbia. The two had spent a few nights studying at Ronnie's house while Ronnie watched on.

"Makayla, how are you," Ronnie asked giving her friend an awkward hug around her belly.

"I'm good. Look at you. I didn't know you guys were having a baby," she flung her black hair back over her shoulder. Her tall frame was as perfect as it had always been and Ronnie felt a pang of jealousy while looking down at her enormous stomach. "Looking good Will."

"How is Ben," Will asked after her husband.

"He's doing well. He was the best man so I believe he is down taking pictures. Can you believe it took Ryan and Marie this long to get married? Ben and I will have been together six years this November. But I don't have to tell you. Aren't you guys celebrating your anniversary next month?"

Will coughed in his champagne and Ronnie grabbed a napkin from the closest table to hand him. He dabbed the liquid off of his chin and turned back to Makayla. "Actually, we are divorced."

Ronnie saw pain flash in his eyes before it was replaced by his calm façade. Makayla, on the other hand, was standing with her mouth gaped wide open.

"When did this happen? And you came here together? I need a drink," she turned to a server who was walking by and grabbed a new glass of wine.

_Sorry it has been taking so long to upload new chapters. I have been busy and experiencing a touch of writer's block. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm thinking I will be writing only two more chapters (emphasis on maybe) so I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please stick with me till the end I promise not to disappoint! While you are reading this I beg you to take a few minutes and write a comment or review of this chapter. It helps to keep me motivated while writing new chapters. Thanks!_


	18. Chapter 18

Ronnie sat in the plastic chair that was wrapped in green and burgundy cloth watching Will laugh it up with Ben. All the wedding dances were over and everyone had finished eating. Now she was waiting for the toasts so that she could chomp down on a big piece of cake. In her hand she held a tall glass of sparkling cider while ogling Makayla's Cabernet Sauvignon.

"I can't believe you are divorced," Makayla repeated for the millionth time that hour.

They both stared across the deck to where the guys were talking animatedly. Will had one hand in his pocket while the other was holding a similar glass of sparkling cider. Obviously he wasn't concerned about drinking from the kiddie table. He laughed at something Ben had said and took a sip of his drink.

"How could you let that beautiful specimen of a man go? If I were you I would remind him tonight why it is he married you. Then when he gets back home he will forget all about this Annie character."

The plan sounded great to Ronnie but she knew that things had become complicated over the last few months. It wasn't just her life she had to consider but her baby's. She placed her hand on her stomach and felt the baby kick as if in agreement.

"Annie is good for him," she relented. "I hurt him really bad when I left. Now I just want him to be happy."

Makayla shrugged while peering back at Ben. "At least tell me she is snobby or something. Give me something to work with."

Ronnie sighed," I wish I could but she is as close to perfect as someone can get. This is the same woman who will bring me dessert when they go out to dinner."

"That is thoroughly disgusting."

Across the deck she watched the newlywed Mrs. Patterson smiling from ear to ear. There was always this glow about new brides. Her dress, which must have cost an arm and two legs, was beautiful with its simple draping and intricate beading on the bodice. But nothing was as beautiful as the smile on her face. There was no denying how ecstatic she was to be Mrs. Ryan Patterson.

"If you are not planning to get him back, what are you going to do?"

"I've been thinking of moving back to New York. I have been scouting apartments online. I even had my mom check one of them out."

"Have you told Will," she asked tentatively.

Ronnie bowed her head. "I think we have been avoiding the future. He is adamant about not being a weekend and holidays father but New York is where I need to be to further my career."

"He already lost one child, Ronnie."

Ronnie rubbed at her temples feeling a headache coming on. "How am I supposed to stick around and watch him marry Annie? Watch them have kids? I can't do it."

"Who says that is what is going to happen? You just told him you want him back. What did you expect him to do? Call Annie, who is on vacation with her family, and break up with her over the phone. Will would never do that."

Makayla paused before standing to her feet. "Just give him time," she finished before walking over to her husband.

Ronnie knew she was right. Even if Will had decided to give them another chance he would wait to tell her after he could speak with Annie. He was loyal and a really good person. There is no way he would hurt either one of them if he could avoid it. Now all she had to do was wait till he made a decision.

"I saw you eyeing her drink," Will whispered in her ear sending chills down her spine. He placed his glass on the table and held out his hand. "Would you care to dance?"

"I don't know. I'm not exactly in dancing form right now."

"Well, you did seem to figure it out with Alston a few days ago," he smirked. "Come on."

She let him help her to her feet and was led onto the dance floor. He pulled her as close as her stomach would allow and smiled down at her. He was breathtakingly handsome. While Will had dark brown hair it always seemed to lighten during the summer months giving off the appearance of bright gold highlights. She reached her hand up and instinctively ran her hand through it.

"You know this makes me think of our wedding," he started.

"Except I wasn't as big as a whale then," she laughed.

Will shook his head," You're beautiful."

Ronnie felt her heart beat erratically at his compliment. How could he be so wonderful after all she had put him through? Not only had she divorced him but she had also told him she loved him while he was dating someone else. This stuff could be used on a soap opera and she was starting to think she was in one.

"Will, I think we need to talk about what is going to happen after I have the baby."

Will rubbed his thumb against her fingers that were intertwined with his. "I was thinking about that and I don't see why I couldn't buy a house close by for you and the baby. I could also help you out if you want to stay home for the first few years."

"That's too much. I couldn't ask it of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering," Will said.

"I also thought of another solution," she gulped before finishing her thought. "I could go back to work. I don't think I would have a problem getting my job back at Julliard."

She felt him stiffen in her arms and stop dancing. He stared down at her with a grim look on his face. Ronnie knew he wasn't going to take this well. He grabbed her arm roughly and led her of the reception area. When they got outside to a secluded spot he let her arm go and walked a few feet away. She could tell by his stance that he was trying to keep his temper in check.

"You're not leaving this state. Do you understand me," he asked with a deathly calm. "If you even think of it I will take you to court for full custody."

Ronnie placed her hand over her stomach protectively. "You wouldn't."

"Don't think so," he asked coming up in front of her making her aware of his full height. "I already buried one child and I'm not losing another."

"I need to work Will," she shot back putting her hands on her non-existent hips.

"You can do whatever you want but my child is staying here."

The garden they were standing in was in full bloom and with the birds singing it created the perfect picture of peace. She wished she could take and bottle up that feeling because she seemed to be in a constant state of unrest. Her doctor kept warning her that it wasn't safe for her or the baby.

The truth was she was running away. She didn't want to stick around while Annie and him grew closer together. How would it be for their child to see their daddy with a separate family? What if Will loved them more? What if he loved Annie more?

Ronnie turned and spotted a bench on the side of the courtyard that was white with green trim and sank down in the seat. That was the real problem. She was worried that Will would love Annie more. After everything that they had been through he could end up loving Annie more than he ever loved her.

"I can't do this Will," she put her hand over her mouth trying to hide the shock from her face. Her wanting to move back to New York had nothing to do with supporting their child. What she wanted was to hide from the reality in front of her. Will was moving on.

"You can't do what," he asked sinking down in the seat beside her. He cupped her face in his hands looking her square in the eye. "What is it you can't do?"

"I can't stay and watch you love her," she felt a tear roll down her face and Will's finger wipe it away. He seemed to contemplate what she said but remained quiet. Ronnie felt her bottom lip start to quiver. He took a shuddering breath and pulled her into his arms. Through the jacket she could feel heat radiating from his body making her feel warm and safe.

"I don't know what the future holds for us. Maybe we will stay here for a few months and then in New York. All I'm asking is that you don't take my child away from me," he said before lightly placing a kiss on her head. "Please."

Ronnie pulled back, staring into his eyes. She wanted him. She wanted the man she had fallen in love with. The man who had seen her through many trying times. She wanted the man who had risked his relationship with his mother to be with her.

Slowly, hoping not to make him pull away, she ran her hand through his hair. "Kiss me."

Will gradually leaned towards her until she could feel his breath on her face. His eyes darted back and forth as if he was trying to read her like a book. "I can't do this Ronnie," he whispered before standing to his feet and walking away.

* * *

Ronnie stood on the outskirts of the Blaklee property appreciating the fact that she hadn't been seen entering. The path she stood in front of was three feet wide and canopied by white oak trees that cast the path in shadows. She walked tenderly through the brush feeling her heart beat a little faster with each step. She hadn't been back since that day.

It had been a somber day with only twelve people to acknowledge the fact that any life had existed. A life that only a few hours before had been rolling in her stomach as her sibling was doing now.

She walked to the end of the path until it opened up behind a pair of wrought iron doors that had been placed for decoration. There were only a few headstones; one of them she had seen Will stop in front of many times. It was his brother's grave that she carefully cleaned off before walking over to her daughters.

Sinking to her knees, she felt the tears already running down her face. This was the moment she had been avoiding since that fateful morning. In her hand she held sunflowers that she had bought from a florist. They had beautiful mustard coloring and a dark chocolate center. It was the perfect flower, for her perfect flower.

"Hi, Emma. It's your mom," she sniffed and pulled out a tissue to wipe her nose. "I was thinking about you the other day and as I did your sister or brother here decided to start kicking me real hard so I took that as a sign that we need to come visit you. I know you must be mad at me for not coming to visit more but…well, I have no excuse. I don't know how I got here."

Ronnie looked back at Mike's headstone and wondered if Susan had ever had these same conversations. Maybe she had come out here to bring Mike flowers and tell him that she loved him and missed him. Or maybe, she had to explain why she could barely get out of bed in the morning because facing another day without him would be too much.

She turned back to Emma feeling a stabbing pain in her heart. "I'm so sorry Emma. How could I have left you here all alone?"

"She hasn't been alone," she heard Will's voice from behind her.

_Well, I thought I was almost done but then I was taken in a different direction. Obviously I'm not going to be able to finish this up by next chapter. I hope that's okay. I want to start finishing this up but I don't want to rush it or leave this project feeling unfinished. I would love it if you would leave a review/comment. It really helps me stay focused. Thanks! _


	19. Chapter 19

Ronnie stood to her feet wiping the tears from her face. She didn't want to seem weak in front of Will. He stood just inside the wrought iron doors with his arms folded over his chest. Today she noticed that he was dressed down. He looked more like the boy she had met their first summer together. "I just wanted to drop these flowers," she turned and placed the sunflowers on the ground and placed a kiss on her hand that she pressed against the headstone. "I was just leaving."

She briskly walked towards her car but he grabbed her arm to stop her. "I would never keep you from her."

Ronnie stared off to the end of the path wondering how she could let him go. How do you walk away from a man who could make time stand still with his kisses? Or how do you leave a life that had fit you like a glove? She shook her head realizing that is exactly what she had done when she divorced him. "I was on my way to see Alston," she lied.

His eyes narrowed and his grip on her arm tightened slightly before he dropped it all together. "Then don't let me stop you."

The wind picked up around them causing the trees to sway and a beautiful melody to fill the air. There were leaves flying through the air and birds chirping in the background. It was an amazing sight. "I forgot how beautiful this place is."

Will smiled and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was. One summer, when they were both on break from school, Will had brought her home for a week so that he could spend time with his parents but not lose any time with her. They had snuck out one evening so that they could make love beneath the trees and she remembered the wind creating a harmony like the one it was making now. The leaves had fallen all over them and a few had even got caught in her hair. His mother had been suspicious of their activity but she never came right out and accused them. Even though she had started to warm up to her then, old prejudices were hard to break.

"Are you going to the airport to pick up Annie," Ronnie questioned. She nervously wrung her hands hoping Will would say no.

"Yeah, I was on my way when I saw your car," he motioned behind him. "I was surprised to see you here."

"I couldn't do it Will. It took everything in me to get here today."

He nodded his head in agreement. "That doesn't make you a bad mother."

"Doesn't it," she asked feeling the tears building in her eyes again. "You seemed to make it just fine but me…"

He closed the gap that had opened between them and placed his hands on her face. "No, it just keeps me grounded. I need to feel like I have a connection with her. Our therapist said we would grieve differently."

He lightly wiped the tear on her face then he let his hand trail down to rest on her belly. It didn't take long for their child to recognize his touch and kicked his hand. "We have a little miracle on the way. A miracle I don't want to waste," he offered.

"What does that mean," she asked searching his face for clues.

"It means…" They both turned to see Will's mother driving through the gate at the entrance. While he was distracted Ronnie started walking back up the path to her car. She wasn't sure she was ready to have this conversation. By the look on his face he was about to tell her that he wanted sole physical custody of their child.

A shudder ran through her when she thought of the fact that Annie would most likely become a second mother to her child. She didn't want anyone else raising her child. An even uglier thought made Ronnie's heart start beating erratically. When everything was settled with Will and all was back to normal, or as normal as possible, she could end up alone.

"Ronnie," Will called after her but she got in her car and drove away.

* * *

Will stood in the crowded airport watching families say their goodbyes. One had really caught his attention when a soldier had held his daughter in his arms while she cried her eyes out. The man was in his uniform and he could tell by the tense set of his shoulders that he was trying hard not to cry himself. He wondered if it was for his daughter's sake that he held the tears back or because he wanted to keep up his tough guy appearance. Either way Will was focused on the tiny girl in his arms.

Her diminutive body was adorned with a bright pink summer dress that hung loosely on her. She had golden hair that was swept up in a messy ponytail. It made him wonder if he would be holding his own daughter in a week. Or maybe he would have a little boy, someone to take fishing with him. He smiled thinking how awesome it would be to have a guys' weekend with his father, Nick, Daniel, and his son.

On the loud speaker, a woman announced a gate change for one of the flights but it was muffled by the sounds of the crowd. A few people glanced up as if hoping to hear better but no one moved.

He thought back to a few months ago when he had been here waiting for Ronnie. Not much had changed over the last few months even though they had said they would work things out before the baby came. He wasn't sure what was going to happen. They had become proficient at avoiding the topic.

The question was; could he move back to New York? It seemed the only way they would be able to coexist.

"Will," he head Annie's voice through the crowd. She walked slowly towards him with her bag rolling behind her. She had a smile firmly in place but was quickly removed when she noticed the scowl on his. "Hi."

"How was your flight," he asked.

"Good," she answered dropping her gaze to the floor.

He knew he had to get this conversation over with whether she was going to like it or not. With Ronnie telling him she loved him and the baby scheduled to make an appearance any day he needed to set things right. "I don't play games Annie. I'm not in college and I'm definitely not in high school anymore. If you're not mature enough to handle our relationship like an adult I don't want to continue on."

She glanced up at him," I know I should have called. I just didn't know what to say. That day in the hospital I was angry. You can call your actions anything you want but what you did to Alston shows how invested you still are in your relationship with Ronnie."

"You're right. But we're a team and we need to work things out as a team. You can't run away every time things get rough."

"You knew I was going on vacation," she shot back while dodging people walking past. Her bag was knocked a few times before Will took it from her hands and put it beside him.

"Yes, but you didn't pick up one phone call." Will sighed and placed his hands on either side of her face. "I have feelings for you. I'm not going to say I love you because I don't know if I'm there yet."

"What do you feel," she asked.

Will rubbed his finger along her jaw savoring the feel of her soft skin. It had only been two weeks since the last time he saw her but he had missed her as if they had been apart for years. He knew the love he had for Ronnie but there was no denying that he also had feelings for Annie. The hard part was he couldn't name what those feelings were.

Was it love?

Without thought, he slowly lowered his head towards hers and captured her lips. Her arms wove around his neck and he secured her in his arms. His thoughts weren't on the people walking by but on the woman in his arms who seemed to make everything all right just with her presence.

"I feel that you are something special," he dropped a kiss on her forehead then grabbed her bag to head to the car.

* * *

Ronnie licked the frosting off her finger while peering down at the cookbook that was on the counter. She had been working diligently to get the cupcakes ready for Noelle's birthday dinner that she would be hosting later that night. On the radio, she had blasting from the corner, was an old country song she couldn't remember the name of but she found herself humming along anyways.

Pushing a strand of hair back from her face she gazed up at the clock on the wall wondering where Will was. He had gone to pick Annie up from the airport three hours ago. She wasn't one to complain but she hoped he got back soon. They had plenty of work to do before the guests arrived at seven.

Turning back to her work, Ronnie decided to put a touch more vanilla in the icing figuring that there could never be too much vanilla. She had never been a great cook but Noelle had asked for her favorite treat; which happened to be an Oreo cupcake. Ronnie had gotten up early to prepare and cook the sponge and then after a small nap she had been ready to tackle the frosting.

"Hi, Ronnie."

Ronnie jumped not knowing that someone else was in the room. "Hey, Annie. I didn't hear you come in."

Ronnie noticed the small sunburn on her face and the stiff set of her shoulders. "I'm surprised you can hear anything over the radio," she laughed.

Ronnie smiled in return and reached to turn the volume down. "Did you just get in?"

"Yeah, Will went upstairs to wrap Noelle's presents and he said he would be back down."

Ronnie pulled out the drawer beside her and grabbed a spoon. "I'm glad you're here. Tell me what you think." She dipped the spoon in the frosting and extracted a small amount of the treat.

Annie accepted the spoon and took a bite. "Yummy, are you making a cake?"

"Actually, I'm making some Oreo cupcakes. Would you like to help?"

Annie nodded and grabbed the extra apron hanging on the wall. It was the one Will had bought Ronnie years ago that said kiss the cook. The black apron was now faded and the kiss mark on the corner was starting to unravel.

"I want you to take one cupcake," she lifted the nearest one for an example. "Then you swirl the frosting like this and place a bite size Oreo on top. Pretty simple."

They worked side-by-side for the next few minutes in silence till Ronnie pulled the tower from the cupboard to place the cupcakes on. Annie handed her the cupcakes so that she could line them up like she had seen in a magazine. She knew it wasn't her best work but Noelle would still be impressed. She had even impressed herself since she had never been fantastic when it came to baking.

"Noelle is going to love it," Annie stated stepping back to admire Ronnie's work. The three-tiered tower held identical black and white cupcakes that looked picture perfect.

"I love him," Annie said and then went to work on cleaning the kitchen.

Ronnie, who had been taken aback by her comment, stood rooted to the spot. It wasn't as if she didn't know how Annie felt but hearing it out loud had been another thing altogether. Who would be able to spend time with Will and not fall in love with him? He was a perfect gentleman and his smile could light up a room.

"I know," Ronnie answered stepping up to help clean. "I love him too. So where does that leave us?"

"I thought a lot about who I am and who I want to be in a few years and one thing I don't want to be is a home wrecker."

Ronnie grabbed the mixer and started pulling it apart to wash. Her heart was beating erratically knowing that the conversation they were having was going to change the paths of their lives. If Annie wanted to stick around Will would most likely end up marrying her. He was loyal to a fault. But if she left would Ronnie end up being blamed for his failed relationship? Neither answer sounded appealing.

"I've decided to bow out gracefully," Annie said barely above a whisper.

Ronnie's head snapped up.

_Hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Btw, I know there are a lot of typos throughout this story and as soon as I am done I will be going back to fix it up. But in the meantime I would appreciate it if you would leave a review/comment. It would make my day!_


	20. Chapter 20

Ronnie grabbed Will's hand squeezing it with all her might as the next contraction hit her. The excruciating pain had started twelve hours ago and had been gripping her relentlessly. Trying to keep herself calm she took a deep shuddering breath, held it, and released all of her energy out.

"Okay Ronnie, I need you to give me two more good pushes," her doctor said while huddled down near her feet. It felt odd to be so exposed but her mind was on getting the baby out as fast as she could.

Her latest contraction faded causing her to fall back against the bed. "I'm so tired," she moaned feeling as if she hadn't slept in a week. Her muscles had become Jell-O that she was making work by pure will. Her breathing was coming out in quick puffs as if she had run a marathon.

"You got this baby," Will cheered her on while rubbing the sweat and hair off her forehead. He had been standing diligently by her side since he drove her to the hospital. She almost laughed thinking that his hand should be broken with how often she had grabbed it and squeezed. He picked up the oxygen mask and placed it over her mouth. The longer her labor had dragged on the harder it had been for her to breathe.

"One more time Ronnie," her doctor instructed.

Ronnie bore down trying with all her might to push her baby out of her body. "Are we done yet," she joked causing the room to break out in laughter.

"Almost," the nurse answered.

When directed she bore down for the last time and felt her child slip from her body. Immediately the room was filled with wails that could pierce the ears but to Ronnie it was heavenly music. She had done it.

Her baby girl was laid on her stomach while they hastily cleaned her up and directed Will to cutting the umbilical cord. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two most cherished people in her life. One of them was standing beside the bed looking down on them while the other was cuddled to her.

Taking the seat beside the bed, Will placed his forehead against hers. "She's so beautiful."

"She looks just like her daddy," Ronnie responded. She looked down on the newest member of the family who had gotten over the shock of being in the world and was quietly resting from their ordeal.

"What should we call her," he asked before placing a gentle kiss on their daughter's head.

"How about Lily?"

"I like Lily." Will smiled down at her for a moment before dropping a kiss on her forehead. The love shining down from his eyes brought tears to Ronnie's.

* * *

Hours later Will sat beside Ronnie's bed watching her sleep. She had been through a lot that day. In total she had been in labor for twelve and a half hours. He didn't know how she had been able to do it but she had brought their daughter Lily Jolene Blaklee into the world with all her perfect fingers and toes. He had counted twice to make sure.

Will ran his hand down his face feeling the weight of the day bearing down on him. His face hadn't been shaved and the stubble poked at his hand. Megan had asked if he wanted to go home and clean up while she stuck around with Ronnie but he had refused. He couldn't seem to leave her side. After Ronnie had gotten some rest they would be sending her home anyways.

There was a soft knock on the door and Will groaned hoping that it wasn't one of the nurses to wake Ronnie up again. It seemed as if they didn't realize she needed her sleep.

"Will," he heard a familiar voice call to him. Annie peeked around the curtain. "How is it going daddy?"

Will smiled wearing the title with pride. He placed his finger over his lips and pointed towards the bed where Ronnie was still fast asleep. Annie nodded and followed him out of the room and into the hallway.

Instantly her arms were around him and he enjoyed the way she instinctively knew what he needed.

"It's a girl," he announced into her hair. They rocked in each other's arms before turning to walk down the hallway.

"I know I saw her. She's so perfect. Every time I come to work lately I've been checking to see if Ronnie was here. I figured it would be any day now."

"I can't believe she is finally here," Will glanced down at his watch hoping it wasn't too late and the cafeteria would still be open. The hands read back two in the morning. "Oh my gosh, I didn't know how late it was. Are you on duty?"

"No, I got off hours ago. I was just hoping to talk to you. I wanted to see how everything went."

"It went fine. I'm ashamed to say I'm glad it wasn't me who had to do it. If labor hurts more than what she did to my arm, I'm lucky to be on this side of it," he joked.

Annie nervously giggled beside him. "Then you better hope you don't have kidney stones. They say it's the equivalent of labor."

"I've got my fingers crossed," he added crossing his fingers for emphasis. "I better go. I want someone there when Ronnie wakes up."

He turned to leave but Annie grabbed his arm. "Goodbye Will."

Will's stomach knotted. He wasn't sure why but he felt like this was the last time he would see her. "Goodbye Annie," he dropped a kiss on her lips. "I'll call you later."

She nodded but Will still had the distinct feeling that this would be the last conversation they had; which left him feeling empty and drained. With a final glance he took her in. There was so much he wanted to say to her like how she had changed his world. Things had been dark for him when Ronnie left but with her around the world shined brighter.

He finally had the answer to Megan's question. Annie was not the one.

* * *

Will guided his BMW into the driveway pulling up alongside Ronnie's Bug. He had been out for the past two hours trying to grocery shop. Most of it wasn't a problem but when he had reached the baby aisle he had felt overwhelmed. How could someone so little need so much stuff? In the end he grabbed a little of everything and some things he was pretty sure she wouldn't need for a year of so. Either way he wanted to be on the safe side.

One by one he grabbed the grocery sacks his sister had insisted he purchase so that he was "green." Why he couldn't just use the plastic bags was beyond him but he didn't want to get into that argument with her.

He made his way to the door slowly hoping to carry all the bags at once and not have to make multiple trips. Sticking out of the door before him he noticed a pink envelope that had his name written in neat print. The door opened and Ronnie stood on the other side.

"I thought you could use a hand," she smiled at him.

He nodded but kept moving towards the kitchen where he dropped the bags unceremoniously in a heap. "I really hope I grabbed everything you asked because I am not going back."

"I'm sure you did fine," she answered starting to rummage through the bounty. She grabbed the peanut butter and celery to put away. "There is a letter for you. I can put this away if you want some time alone."

Will grabbed the envelope recognizing Annie's handwriting. Opening the back door he strolled out to the porch and took a seat.

_Dear Will,_

_There is so much I want to say to you but the first is, thank you. Thank you, for being a gentleman and treating me as if I was the most precious thing in the world to you. When I am finally ready to settle down and get married I will know the kind of man I am looking for. _

_I hope you don't think I am running away because I'm not. I just finally opened my eyes to the truth. No matter how close we got your one and only true love would have been in the way. I believe with my whole heart that when you took your vows with her you meant every word and no divorce was going to stand in your way. You are and will always be who you are and that is someone who fights for what he believes in. _

_While I was on vacation I kept thinking back to that moment in your mother's kitchen when you were talking to Ronnie about taking care of herself. There was so much love in everything you said that I should have known then what was going to happen. It was not as if you hid your feelings well. As you watched her walk away I saw the longing you had to call her back and if you had things may not have gotten this far. _

_I don't want you to think that I blame you because my hands are not clean either. I have had ample opportunity to rectify our situation but instead I chose to ignore it hoping that you could choose me. But as I stood in the nursery looking down at your beautiful baby girl I knew that I couldn't continue this charade. There was another life to consider. _

_Something you don't know about me is that I have always wanted to set out on my own. I have relied on my parent's support and I want to see if I can make it on my own. That is why I applied for a job in Texas while I was visiting. _

_Despite what you may think, I will cherish the time we had together. The first week we spent together was some of the best times of my life. But I'm still young and hopefully there will be many more that will top it. I guess that is what I want to end with. The whole thing can be boiled down to the fact that we are just different people heading down completely different roads. I have yet to find the love of my life while you have been lucky enough to find the one person who completes you. _

_I feel no ill will towards you or Ronnie. If anything I feel sorry for the fact that you had to go through losing a child. Hopefully your new bundle of joy will bring repair and renewing to your relationship._

_Love always,_

_Annie_

Will glanced up to see Ronnie standing in the kitchen. Lily was cradled in her arms and she was smiling down at their newborn. It was a moment he never thought he would see. After losing Emma and the divorce he assumed that he would move on and maybe with Annie. But this was also an opportunity he wasn't going to let pass him by.

He wished he could take back the hurt he had undoubtedly caused Annie but she was strong and he knew she would get through it. If anything they had each given each other a gift by the time they had spent together.

Now it was time to take back his family.

With that thought in mind Will placed the letter back in the envelope and closed it placing the past in exactly the place it belonged, in the past.

_I hope you enjoyed this new installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. After days of not knowing where I was going the ending just came to me and I am happy to say that the next chapter will be the last. There are a few loose ends I would still like to clean up and I will be giving a look into their future so stay tuned. You won't regret it!_

_Also, I would love it if you would leave me a comment…please!_


	21. Chapter 21

The walls of the Hilton were closing in around Will as he tentatively stepped in front of Alston's door. His breaths came out harsher than normal coinciding with his rapidly beating heart. He had never been afraid to admit when he was wrong but he was about to eat a big piece of humble pie. A small smile crept to his lips as he wondered if it would taste something like Ronnie's peach cobbler. The memory of the candied fruit on his tongue caused his stomach to grumble.

Lifting his hand cautiously to the door he knocked three times. There was movement on the other side before the mahogany door swung open. Alston, who was now sporting two deep violet black eyes, frowned at him. Will shifted his weight to his other foot feeling his guilt weighing down on him.

"Did you come to finish me off," Alston snidely remarked. His arms crossed over his chest closing himself off from whatever Will was going to say.

"No," he mumbled. "I heard you were leaving town and I wanted to talk to you before you left."

"Well, my plane is leaving in three hours and I was just about to head out," Alston turned and tried to close the door in Will's face. He wasn't surprised by Alston's behavior. Since the first time he had seen the spark between Alston and Ronnie he had acted like a jerk. At the time they had just been friends but it had left a sour taste in Will's mouth.

Will pushed his hand against the door before Alston could close it, hoping to fix a friendship that he had long wanted to reconcile. "I'm sorry, dude. I have always been jealous of your relationship with Ronnie."

Alston looked back at him while absentmindedly rubbing the new bump on his nose. It was obvious that the doctor hadn't set it right. "Why?"

Will conjured images from his college years of Alston and Ronnie flirting shamelessly right in front of him. Ronnie would lean in close to Alston, and wanting to give as good as he got, he would throw his arms around her and give her a quick kiss on the top of her head. They were able to be playful when Ronnie and him were crumbling apart.

After two years of being together he had decided that it was time to make their relationship permanent. He had planned a whole evening where he had hired a caterer and decorated his sister's house with red and white rose petals. The dining table, which could have entertained a party of twelve, was loaded down with twinkling candles and a few bouquets of roses. Ronnie's eyes had sparkled from the minute she had seen his work till the moment he went down on his knee before the dessert. But then her tune had changed. Her eyes glazed over and he could see her retreat before he knew what was happening.

"When things got complicated between Ronnie and I, things got better between the two of you. I felt like you were using our troubles to drive a bigger wedge between us."

A slow smile grazed Alston's face. "Well, I was. I never understood why you two split up in the first place."

Will thought about it trying to pinpoint exactly what had been the deciding factor. After he had asked Ronnie to marry him and she had shut him down, they had fought every time they were together. Will had been upset because he wanted her to be his wife and she was unhappy about being rushed towards the altar. After a few months he had asked her again and when she said no he had walked out on her.

"Let's just say that I was being selfish. Then I found you with her and I thought I had lost her forever."

"No way, man. She talked about you all the time. The only way I could get her to stop was to…"

Will advanced on him," Don't finish that statement."

They both chuckled nervously knowing that they almost had lost the ground they had made up. Will didn't want to hear about his relationship with Ronnie. It was bad enough to know it happened in the first place.

"I just came by to say I'm sorry," Will said. "I'm sorry about your nose… and Hawaii."

"I guess this means we're friends again?"

Will grinned knowing that things were finally being worked out. Not only was his friendship with Alston being mended, but also he finally knew what he wanted from Ronnie and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"The next time you come you should stay at the house," Will answered inadvertently.

* * *

The soft bundle in Will's arms shifted slightly in her sleep before burrowing her face against the warm pink blanket he had her wrapped in. She had fallen asleep in his arms after he had settled in the old fashioned wooden rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. The room that was decorated in the baby hues was dark despite being the middle of the afternoon by the yellow curtains that were pulled closed. The only light in the room was coming from the open door that led to the hallway.

He had decided to give Ronnie a break after seeing the globs of under eye makeup she had put on that morning. He knew she was tired after staying up most nights with Lily. If she had asked he would have stayed up with her but it was probably for the best that at least one of them was trying to get rest.

Looking down on his daughter, he couldn't help but be amazed that she was finally here. The most perfect little girl he had seen since the birth of his niece who held a big chunk of his heart. Noelle had been ecstatic to meet her new cousin but Nick had been less than happy. He was used to being the baby in the family and taking most of the attention.

"Will, can I come in," Ronnie whispered through the crack in the door.

"Yup, she is down for her nap," he answered getting slowly to his feet to deposit Lily in her crib. He laid her down carefully beside the bunny that his mother had bought her. It was white with a pink tipped nose that he was sure wouldn't stay white for long. "I thought you would be taking a nap too."

Ronnie yawned pulling her arms over her head and stretching her back out. "I was trying to but I think I'm so exhausted that I hit my second wind."

"I feel like I could get out of this house. How about I call my mom and take her up on her offer to watch Lily? I would like to take you out to dinner tonight."

Ronnie looked down on Lily but he could tell it was to avoid the answer he knew she was going to give. "How long do you think we can do this, Will?"

"What's that," he asked placing his hand over hers. Her hand was delicately placed on the edge of the crib but when his fingers touched hers she pulled it away; which gave him a sharp jab in his heart.

"How long can we play house? I can't live here the rest of my life. It's time that we made some decisions."

Deep in her eyes he could read the fear and doubt that she had been hiding. Whether he wanted to admit it or not he also was suffering from some fears. What would happen if Ronnie took Lily and left? Or, what if the woman he loved didn't love him anymore?

It was finally time to lay it all out on the line so he took her hand and led her out to the hallway.

"Stay with me Ronnie," he stated giving her no opportunity to argue. "I'm not getting down on one knee like some young man who has the whole world ahead of him. But I'm standing in front of you as the husband who has been scarred and bruised and through all that is still crazy in love with you."

Will reached for her other hand so that he was holding both. They were warm and soft in his palm just like he remembered. "I can't promise that we have no more hard times ahead of us but maybe we could get through them together. Marry me, Ronnie."

There was surprise written on her face; which was quickly exchanged for understanding and then he knew what her answer would be.

* * *

Epilogue – Five years later…

Ronnie sank down in the only empty chair she could find. There was a buzz of activity around her as the wedding was about to start in ten minutes. The pair of purple high heels, which had looked so good in the store, was starting to create blisters on her heels. Slipping her foot out of the shoe, she gently massaged the arch of her foot.

"Mommy, mommy," Lily ran between the pairs of legs lining the church hallway and jumped into Ronnie's arms. Her daughter, who was to be the flower girl, had in the last fifteen minutes rumpled her dress and her hair was slowly losing its curl. Ronnie groaned wishing she had given Lily a box of crayons to keep her busy instead of the game of tag the other kids were playing. Even Noelle and Nick seemed to be preoccupied with running away from the other kid who was "it" for the time being.

"What did mommy tell you about your dress," she asked putting Lily down in front of her to straighten her dress. She stretched the material slightly and let it go watching it bounce back to its disheveled appearance. There wasn't much she could do before the ceremony started but hope that no one noticed. "Do you know where daddy is?"

Lily tilted her head trying to reach back into the recess of her mind and find the answer. The move tickled Ronnie's funny bone and a small giggle escaped her lips. "He went to change C.J.'s diaper."

Just then her husband stepped into the room holding their wiggly one-year-old son in his arm and the diaper bag in his other. C.J. squealed when he saw Ronnie and held out his arms to be taken from his daddy. "Fine, I see how it is. Just run to mommy whenever you see her," Will joked handing him over.

His slight weight felt perfect against Ronnie's side. There was something special about holding your child in your arms and his squishy softness was exactly what Ronnie needed to calm her down. She placed a kiss on the top of his head and grinned up at her husband.

When Will had asked her to marry him again in the hallway she had known she couldn't turn him down. Emma had already been stolen from her and she wasn't going to let grief take away the one man she had ever loved. So without thought to Annie or Alston she had kissed him and whispered yes in his ear. They had married the following weekend with just a handful of people with Pastor Harris doing the honors. It had been nothing like their first wedding; which had included a guest list of four hundred people and a bill topping over forty thousand dollars but it had been a reflection of the life they had already lived together. It was just two people deciding that they wanted to put their troubles behind them.

"Daddy, how much longer do I have to wear this dress," Lily complained to Will. She had been a daddy's girl since the moment she was born and knew if she wanted to take the dress off that she would have a better time convincing Will.

Will squatted down in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "Not much longer. I just need you to make it through your Uncle Jonah's wedding."

"Oh, man," Lily sighed.

"You look very pretty though," Will complemented her and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"I thought you needed to speak to Jonah," Ronnie asked Will.

Will gave Lily a hug and sent her off to play with the other kids. His tux, which gave him a James Bond appeal, made him the most handsome man she had ever seen. She couldn't help but think how lucky she is to go home to him every night. They had decided to stay in North Carolina where Ronnie was teaching piano students and composing when she had time. As much as she loved playing the piano there was something she loved more and that was being a wife and mother.

As the room cleared out Ronnie stayed behind hoping to see Jonah before the wedding. He had ended up with his high school sweetheart Ella and they had all traveled down to North Carolina so that he could be married in the church where her dad's stained glass window was installed.

"Ronnie, Will," Jonah stepped into the room and Ronnie had to hold back the tears she could feel pooling in her eyes. Jonah had grown into an amazing man who their dad would have been very proud of.

"You ready," Ronnie asked.

"I'm a little nervous, to be honest."

"It's normal."

"Actually if we have a minute I wanted to give you something," Will interjected. He pulled the cufflinks he had wanted to give Jonah out of his pocket. "My dad gave me these for my wedding. They had been passed down from his father and every generation passes it down to his son. My son C.J. is going to inherit a lot from me so I wanted to give you these."

Jonah accepted them from Will as if they were the most prized of possessions. "Thanks man. I am lucky because I have had two great fathers. My dad was a great man who taught me a lot about life but I wouldn't be who I am today without you."

Ronnie felt the first tear leave her eye and stream down her cheek. She quickly tried to wipe it away hoping that they didn't see.

"Let's not get Ronnie started. She is going to cry enough during the ceremony," Will laughed.

"Well, on that note I am going to leave. I'm getting married, you know." Jonah scurried from the room leaving Will and her alone.

"You know it's not my fault that I'm overly emotional right now," Ronnie swiped playfully at Will's arm. They were heading towards the sanctuary where Will was standing in as Jonah's best man.

"Yeah? Then whose fault is it?"

"You said you wanted three kids," Ronnie smiled as soon as Will froze beside her.

"You mean…"

"Seven months to go, daddy." Ronnie was swept up into Will's arms.

It was great to know that they had finally made it through. After all the problems they had faced they were exactly where they should be. In the hall they stood as man and wife willing to face whatever challenges came their way together and Ronnie had never been happier.

The End

_Thanks so much to everyone who stuck with me to the end. I would appreciate it if everyone could leave a review this time even if it's one word. (awesome or even awful) I would love to hear what your favorite part of the story was. Either way it's been fun!_


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